NotRose
by NoVacancyMind
Summary: 1st in a series- What it says on the tin. What if instead of Rose, a fan from 2009 travelled with the Doctor? What will she change with her knowledge? Why is she here? What will stay the same? -- I do not own Doctor Who. It owns me.
1. The Master of Machu Picchu

** **

Zoe awoke suddenly at a rumble of thunder from outside. She looked at the clock on her right. It said 12am.

_Huh_, she thought, _it's not often you wake up at exactly midnight to a thunderstorm_. Her half-asleep mind recorded this as one of the neat trivialities life threw in to make interesting. She turned over in her sleeping bag and tried to go back to sleep (and the really nice dream involving David Tennant feeding her grapes while in a toga).

A bolt of blue lightning so bright it lit up the sky like morning struck. Zoe yelped and jumped. She wasn't afraid of thunderstorms- she'd been through much worse- but this one was making her jittery.

She shivered and the hairs on her arms stood up. That last strike had cast a strange blue light through the walls of the tent she was sharing with her dad. Unzipping the side of her sleeping bag, Zoe shakily got up and moved to the tent flap to peek out at the sky.

A massive column of clouds that seemed to go on forever hovered above the ruins of Machu Picchu. Purple, red, blue, and gold streaks of energy swirled in them, creating what looked like a vortex from a sci-fi show. Zoe's jaw dropped as she realized the blue lightning coming from the clouds was hitting the same spot.

She had seen many things while travelling the globe with her dad, but nothing compared to this. The lightning was like nothing she knew- not jagged or broken up, but straight and identical to each strike before. It was hitting in a familiar four-beat pattern Zoe couldn't quite place.

She turned to the sleeping figure of her father on the other side of the tent, eager to share the strange sight with him.

"Dad!" When a gentle shake didn't rouse him, she sighed.

"Guess I'll have to explore on my own," she murmured.

She pulled on a big cable-knit sweater over her sleep shirt and plaid pyjama pants, then checked her hiking boots for bugs before slipping her feet in. Grabbing her rucksack as a precaution, and taking a torch out of it, she slipped into the brisk night.

The ruins of Machu Picchu were illuminated by a mix of the continuous lightning and full moon. It had been beautiful during the day, when she'd taken pictures, but know it was something else entirely. Chillingly magical and exhilarating, her gaze was torn between the storm-cast scene and the treacherous path, illuminated by her torch.

With a pace fueled by adrenaline, Zoe reached the top of a hill and paused to get her bearings, hot breath revealed in the crisp mountain air.

While searching for the best route forward (she couldn't remember why she was heading **towards** the lightning), the strikes picked up speed, still hitting in the same spot and in the same pattern. It was such a brilliant blue it seemed white. Zoe lifted her arm in an effort to block the light, yet she couldn't look away. Hypnotized by the phenomena, she stared as the lightning struck faster and faster until it ended in a giant flash that left the sky looking like it was day for a full minute.

Zoe blinked in the return to darkness. The swirling clouds and lights were still looming above, but the night seemed strangely still in lieu of the lightning.

Then she saw it. A flicker of light where the lightning had been hitting, like a torch in the dark, and below it what seemed to be writing. She squinted trying to read it.

"Pol… ublic… all… ox," was all she could make out, but it was enough.

_It can't be; it can't be. It's impossible. Completely impossible that the TARDIS just landed in Machu Picchu _she thought. Another voice popped into her head and whispered "Never say never ever."

"Shut up David," Zoe growled out loud. Any other remarks to her inner Doctor were stifled when what seemed to be a door opened, letting loose a red (or was it mauve?) light. A man's silhouette appeared against it.

"Hmm. Not big enough to be Nine, not skinny enough to be Ten. Eleven? Nah, his hair would be more noticeable."

_Rassilon's Garter Belt!_ she chastised herself. _You're acting like this is real! Get a grip! Obviously I'm dreaming. That makes sense; I did have a very long day._

The door to the 'phone box' shut, cutting off the light coming out of it. In the mostly-darkness, still lit by the swirling clouds and moon, Zoe thought she could see something (the man?) moving.

A strange need compelled her to head in that direction as fast as possible. Even though this wasn't real, she wanted to play along.

Her blood was pounding as she scrambled down a path, winding between remnants of the old Incan city. She was so focused on getting to the Police box a stifled scream escaped her lips when she ran into something. Scratch that; some**one**.

It could only be the man who'd come from the TARDIS; it's not like many people wandered the ruins of Machu Picchu at night.

For a moment they stood looking at each other. Zoe was wide-eyed with feet spread out, ready to run. The man stood tall and still as a statue in a shadow cast by a half-destroyed wall.

He broke the silence first. "Who are you?"

"Zoe Taylor."

The man was silent for a moment, leaving Zoe to wonder what he was thinking. She still couldn't see his features amidst the shadows.

"So you're not Bad Wolf?"

Whatever Zoe was expecting him to say, this was nowhere on the list. "What?!"

"Are you Bad Wolf?"

"No! No one's Bad Wolf! She's not real, psycho! Where'd you come from? What asylum?" She stepped back warily, but he just stepped forward.

"I assure you, girl, Bad Wolf is **very** real and **very** important. Now if you aren't Bad Wolf, someone else here is."

"Here? You do realize this is Machu Picchu, don't you? Just me and my dad and maybe five Peruvians for miles."

The mysterious figure came even closer, out of the shadows, revealing a face with eyes narrow and dark, black hair, and harsh features. Simply put, intimidating.

"The coordinates were very clear and exact. If you're the only one close by, you must be Bad Wolf."

"Why do you keep saying that?! Bad Wolf is an entity; a combination of Rose Tyler and the Vortex!"

"But you know of it."

Zoe snorted. "As does half of Britain and thousands around the world."

"I've crossed universes to find Bad Wolf and I'm not leaving without it. I **know** you're Bad Wolf, even if you don't know that yet. The TARDIS lead me here to find he/her/it- whatever- and the TARDIS is never wrong."

"Right. The TARDIS. Of course. Why did I expect anything different?! You're already obviously crazy and obsessed with Doctor Who! It only makes sense you have a TARDIS too!" Zoe swung her arms about wildly, the torch's beam skimming across the surrounding ruins.

"What next?! A sonic screwdriver?!" She said, voice raising to a painfully high pitch.

Unfazed, the man calmly replied. "Laser, actually. Who'd have sonic?"

Zoe stilled and tried to regulate her breathing.

"Who are you?" she whispered.

The man took another step towards her.

"The Master."

Zoe backed up hysterically shaking a finger at him.

"No. No, no, no, no, no! Of **all** the fictional people to be, you have to be the Master!"

"You know me?" The stranger sounded a bit taken aback.

"Sort of. I've never seen you with that face." Zoe shook her head. "Wait a minute! What am I talking about?! You're not the Master!"

"I think I know who I am," the man replied tersely.

Zoe couldn't resist. It came out almost reflexively.

"You **think** you know? How stupid are you?"

A moment of silence hung between the two of them until 'the Master' spoke in a soft and somewhat wistful tone.

"Rassilon, you sound like him."

Zoe shifted feet, confused at the rapid changes of mood.

"Like who?"

"The Doctor."

"Oh. Of course," She said with sarcasm, and crossed her arms. "Speaking of him, where is he? With you here- if you **were** the Master that is- he shouldn't be far behind."

The man drew himself up and stiffened. "He's dead," he answered in a flat voice.

Zoe looked at him in shock. "No. Oh no- you didn't!"

"Didn't kill him? You're right, I didn't. He died saving me."

"Well," Zoe said, attempting to deal with this news, "That's very him, isn't it?"

A growl came from the figure and he drew closer to her, fire burning in his eyes.

"Make up your mind! One minute you insist I'm not real, the next you speak as if you know me!"

"But you're just a character! In a television show! That I watch!"

The man didn't speak for a minute. He looked into her eyes and seemed to consider what she'd said.

"That would explain the way you're acting. It would explain a lot of things actually."

"Like why you were thrown in an asylum?" Zoe mumbled moodily. The stranger pretended not to notice.

"I may be a fictional character in this universe, but I'm real in my own."

"What, like you crossed the Void?"

"Yes." Zoe rejoiced when the man sounded surprised. "You know a lot about me."

"That's 'cause I'm a zealot when it comes to the show. I'm not the biggest fan, but I'm considered an authority on it," she said, just a teensy bit smug.

"Do you know who Bad Wolf is? In **my** universe, I mean."

"Course. Rose Tyler."

"Are there any similarities between you and… Rose Tyler?"

She blinked. "Um… My full name is **Rosemary** Zoe **Taylor** and hers is **Rose Marion Tyler**. I'm 19 and that's how old she was when she met the Doctor. I… I also only have one parent alive… like her." Zoe swallowed a lump in her throat. Her mum had died four years ago from cancer.

"Why does all this matter?" She snapped, shaking the mood off.

"Because Bad Wolf never happened in my universe, and it was supposed to. It **needed **to. Whatever Bad Wolf is, it's big enough to be vital for the survival of the cosmos."

"Well, duh! It involved all of time and space."

The man- Master?- shook his head slowly in disbelief. "I don't think I wanna know. All I know is Rose Marion Tyler was never Bad Wolf and never met the Doctor. Somehow, it got erased."

"So go back and make sure she does."

"It's not that simple. Time is already paper thin and fragile because of the Chaos. If I go back and do that on purpose because of what I know, it would create a paradox. My universe would doubtlessly collapse if that happened."

Zoe frowned. "But I thought paradoxes happened all the time?"

The stranger ran a hand through his short hair and sighed. It was the most… human reaction the Master had ever had, Zoe realized. It made him look so normal.

"Look, imagine it like this- and please know I'm only explaining this to you out of pity; time is like a house of cards in my universe right now: extremely unstable. Now, my card house is uneven and it's starting to wobble. A breeze coming through a window isn't helping it much either. So, to stabilize my card house, I could either move a card around or add a new one. Which one is the better choice?"

"Adding a card," Zoe said slowly, starting to understand now.

"Exactly. Moving one would undoubtedly bring the house tumbling down. But **adding **one… that's almost guaranteed to work. Do you see why I need Bad Wolf from this universe; an 'extra card' if you will?"

"Yeah, I do actually," Zoe nodded, proud of herself. "But you said **I'm** Bad Wolf. What makes you think that?"

"The drums."

Zoe had to digest that for a minute.

"I don't get it."

"Ever since I was eight I've heard the sound of drums," he began to explain.

"Yeah, yeah, I know that," Zoe said impatiently.

The Master looked at her suspiciously. "Just how much do you know about me?"

"Enough, **Koschei**," She replied with a sniff and lift of her chin. The Master's eyes widened perceptively.

"How do you- ? Never mind. Not important and not enough time." He dismissed her knowledge of his name with a wave of his hand. "The thing is, they were a warning. I only discovered this after the universe started to end, of course. The Doctor and I- we actually worked together as the last two Time Lords in existence- realized if we ran the beat through some equations and complicated theories your puny human brain can't comprehend, it could lead us to a solution. In the end it provided coordinates here. The numbers also made two words when we ran it through a different equation."

"Bad Wolf," Zoe hazarded a guess.

"Exactly. And for whatever reason, you're the only one who can fill Bad Wolf's role."

"That's ridiculous," she scoffed.

"I know. I'm surprised it all comes down to a dirty ape too."

Zoe shot him a look. "Okay, say you're really the Master and everything you've said is true. What exactly am I supposed to do?"

"Easy. Come to my universe and do whatever this Rose Tyler was supposed to do."

"Will I be able to come back?"

The Master shrugged. "Life's full of surprises, but that one is about as likely as getting a pony for your birthday."

Zoe thought about it intensely. This could be the chance of a lifetime. How many times had she dreamed of travelling with the Doctor? But her Dad needed her. She couldn't leave him alone for good, and frankly she didn't want to.

"Right," she said firmly, "As cool and tempting as that sounds, if it means I have to leave my universe and never see my family and friends again, I'll pass."

A feral grin spread on the Master's face and reminded Zoe he was essentially, at the end of the day, a villain.

"Who said you had a choice?"


	2. Life in a Television Show

** **

The Master had scooped her up over his shoulder before she realized what was happening. He walked back the direction he'd came, down to the TARDIS, completely ignoring her yells and fists pounding on his back.

Once inside the TARDIS, he put her down. Zoe stared at him in fear mainly based in surprise.

"Sit," he ordered in a cold voice. Zoe immediately dropped Indian style to the floor. The Master rolled his eyes.

"On the jump-seat, ape!"

Zoe had never moved so fast.

With one disdainful glance at her, he simply started setting controls on TARDIS console.

Zoe's single heart beat erratically, pounding in her chest. 'This can't be happening, this can't be happening' repeated in her head like a mantra, desperately trying to keep her grounded to reality. Either it wasn't working, or this was real. So she sat, tense and waiting for whatever the Master was going to do next, and trying to figure out what the French toast was happening to her mind.

Suddenly the TARDIS took flight. She yelped like a kicked puppy and dug her fingernails into the battered material of the jump-seat. The room tilted roughly and she fell forward off her perch, straight into the Master's legs. He growled and shoved her out of the way with his foot, attention otherwise on the flat-screen.

The room pitched and rolled and shook. It seemed to go on and on. The sentient ship moaned like she was in pain, with sparks flying and creaks created an ear-splitting symphony with a klaxon. Zoe swore in her head when the cloister bell started going off.

"What in the name of Omega are you doing?!" she yelled, anger overcoming any fear.

The Master said something (obviously bad) in a language she didn't understand as some sparks landed on his face. "Mind your own beeswax!" he snarled.

Zoe looked to the domed ceiling in exasperation and disbelief. Using a phrase from 10-year olds really lessened the fear factor of an evil mastermind.

She was grumbling under her breath about BBC pay-cuts when the lights went out and the TARDIS landed with a thump.

For a moment the only sound was hissing from the console. Then a low mauve light flickered on and lit the surroundings a bit. The first thing Zoe noticed was the Master leaning over the console with his hands gripping the edge like it was the only thing keeping him up. She swallowed her fear.

"K-Koschei?"

A sigh was her only answer. He then straightened up and walked to her. She stared at the hand he offered.

Putting hers in his, she noticed it was clammy and shaking. She tried not to put much pressure on it much as she got up; she had a feeling it would pull him down if she did.

Once eye-level, Zoe noticed the beads of sweat along his hairline and the hollowness of his eyes.

"Are you okay?" she whispered in the mauve-cast and wrecked room.

The Master snorted. "I'm dying. Had to give myself- literally- to help the TARDIS through the void."

Zoe's mouth made an 'o' in shock. "Will you regenerate?"

He didn't seem to be surprised she knew about that aspect of Time Lords. "I'm on my last. Still, it doesn't matter. This me would have ceased to exist anyways once you fixed the time line."

Shaken by this turn of events, Zoe said the only thing she could think of.

"I'm sorry."

The Time Lord just stared blankly at a point over her shoulder. "C'mon," he said flatly. "Your new life awaits outside."

The surroundings of the TARDIS, as they stepped outside, weren't especially encouraging. It was dark and they'd landed in between two large brick buildings. It seemed like a business district of London.

"Where are we?" Zoe asked.

The Master coughed before answering. "London, 2005, around midnight. Probably winter or early spring, too."

"You can say that again," Zoe mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself. The cool air filtered through her sweater, hitting her skin with pin-pricks of ice.

"So now that you've kidnapped me and are forcing me to do your evil, alien, bidding, what's next on the agenda?"

"That's up to you."

"What?!"

"Me and the TARDIS will fade from existence soon. You'll be on your own."

"But… what am I supposed to do? I don't know anyone here!" she cried indignantly.

"You know the Doctor."

"Well I don't see him around! What do I do till I meet him?!" she snapped.

"Look," the Master growled. "**You're** the one that knows so much about Bad Wolf! **You** figure it out! I've done my part."

Zoe just looked at him with tears of frustration and fear in her eyes. How could this be happening? She just wanted to sleep then wake up back in the tent.

The Master saw her distress and let out a sigh. "Wait one minute." He disappeared back inside the TARDIS for several minutes before returning, coughing violently. Even if he had abducted her and was a villainous son of a gun, Zoe couldn't help but be concerned for him. She always had been a softie.

When the coughing fit was over, the Master held out to her a familiar brown coat. She smiled as she took it and ran her fingers over the fabric.

"Janis Joplin," she murmured in joy. She slipped the coat on over her shoulders. It was far too big and hung off her shoulders and almost brushed the ground, but she didn't care. This was the first good thing that had happened since this fiasco began.

Zoe turned to the Master and beamed at him. "Thank you."

He simply nodded. "The TARDIS had that out for you, along with this." He held out a plain, black shoulder bag that zipped at the top.

"Bigger on the inside," the Master said as she peered into it perplexedly. "There are some other things in there as well I think. And I have this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a miniature disco ball, except in the shape of a pyramid.

"It's for storing data. While we were in your universe the TARDIS took in the complete internet, along with all electronical and radio devices from all of time up to your day. Every software program, e-mail, phone call, movie, song, television show and website that ever existed is on it."

Zoe looked at it in awe. "Thank you," she breathed. This was her only link to home.

"I can do this much for you. I took you away from your family," the Master said in a soft tone.

She met his eyes and tried to convey her thanks in her face. He seemed to understand.

"Just put it by something with a monitor or screen and twist the top. Oh! And take this." He dug around in his own jacket for a second and pulled out a handful of bunched up pound notes. "There's a hotel across the street."

They stood there for a moment just looking at each other. Finally Zoe gave a small shrug.

"Guess this is good-bye then."

The Master nodded and turned to go back into the TARDIS.

"Koschei!" He stopped at her call. "I- I can't believe I'm doing this but… I forgive you." And with that Zoe gave him a small kiss on the cheek and walked out of the alley.

She'd reached the sidewalk and was about to cross the street when she heard the TARDIS de-materializing. Her head whipped around and she swallowed nervously as the blue box faded from view. She was all alone.

"Good-bye Master. You weren't all bad at the end of the universe."

** **

Zoe woke up in a cocoon of covers. She'd gotten twisted up in them during the night and had to fight her way out to stretch.

As her body brushed up against the sheets she realized they were wrong. They were a little scratchy and rough and her pillow was thin. It was a lot like a hotel bed, and hadn't she been in her sleeping bag? That was when her mind left the last of its sleepiness behind and remembered.

"Ughhh…."

Zoe sat up and groaned. Making fists, she rubbed her crusted eyes clean and flexed her tight muscles, then padded to the little bathroom.

After splashing water on her face she raised her head and looked in the mirror. The reflection made her wince.

Her brunette hair was a tangled, dirty mess. There were bags under her green eyes and a new pimple on her nose. She was sore from stress and sleeping on a lousy mattress and judging by the clock, she'd missed the free breakfast.

Oh- and there was the little fact that she was living in a television show.

On her own.

Zoe wasn't normally a crier, but she figured she had an excuse this time, and let herself slide to the floor and sob her big heart out. Only four words ran through her head: This. Can't. Be. Happening.

** **

A few hours later she'd drained every last tear from her body. Using the little shampoo and conditioner and soap the hotel provided she took a long shower, scrubbing herself vigorously and leaving her skin red and a bit raw.

When she was done and dry she decided to catalogue her possessions. She'd somehow managed to keep her knapsack with her last night, although she had dropped the torch when Koschei (she would never call that version the Master) threw her over his shoulder.

The knapsack was the one she used for backpacking, so it didn't really have clothing or toiletries. There **was **her digital camera though, with lots of pictures she'd took on it, along with energy bars and trail mix, a half-empty water bottle, army knife, hat and gloves, notepad and pencil, Spanish phrase book, and some sols, the monetary unit of Peru.

After that, Zoe decided see what was in the bag the Master had given her. She had gotten the impression he didn't know all of what was in it, so she figured the TARDIS must have put it together somehow. She'd flopped in bed as soon as she got in the room last night, and hadn't examined it yet.

Now Zoe opened it and dug her hand in. She had to put her arm all the way up to her shoulder in the bag to feel around before her fingers fell on something cool and cylindrical, and pulled it out. It was the sonic screwdriver.

"What the Hand of Omega am I supposed to do with this?!" she said out loud. "It has, like, 5000 settings and I only know the one for barbed wire!" She shook her head, but smiled all the same. If nothing else, it made a cool sound and lit up.

She set it on the table and delved into the knapsack again. Soon her hand brushed against something. It was a banana.

Zoe went into hysterics. Something about her fragile emotions and the unexpected, though appropriate, gift drove her over the edge, into uncontrollable laughter.

When the hysteria faded into a smile, she set the banana next to the screwdriver and searched the insides of the bag again. This time she found something like cloth. She withdrew it and shrieked in joy.

"A bra!" Hurriedly she put it on. She never slept in one so when she'd been kidnapped it was when bra-less. Putting one on gave comfort only a perfectly fitted and supportive piece of lingerie could give. She sighed in contentment. Her joy was doubled when the next find in the knapsack was a matching set of knickers.

After a moment of admiring her new garments in the mirror she finished searching through the bag, revealing a pear (she snorted), socks, and the Doctor's psychic paper (the most useful thing next to the bra). That was it.

Zoe sighed in disappointment. She'd really been hoping for some more money. The Master had given her enough for another few night's stay at the hotel, but nothing else, and she had no idea how long it would be till she ran into the Doctor, which was another issue to figure out.

"One thing at a time, Zoe, one thing at a time," she murmured to herself.

** **

Her enemy stood silent across the street, mocking her. Zoe paced, wondering how she could approach this. Did she dare? Would it work?

Finally deciding to take the risk, Zoe reached into the pocket of the brown coat and pulled out the sonic.

Holding it discreetly she closed her eyes and aimed it at the target. She pushed the button, simultaneously flinching and…

Shouts of surprise fell upon her ears and she gently opened one eye and then the other to stare at the scene.

Money was actually shooting out of the ATM, just like in The Runaway Bride. She watched slack-jawed as people grabbed handfuls out of the air and cars ran over bills that drifted to the ground. Breaking into a grin she used the sonic on the machine once more, this time making sure to stuff her pockets.

It had worked! She had decided on a whim to try it and it worked! She hadn't even messed with the settings on the screwdriver. Maybe the TARDIS had foreseen her difficulty and pre-set it for her.

Whatever the reason was, she had cash, and her smug grin stayed in place as she strutted into a shop.

** **

Zoe didn't realize she was crying till she tasted salt. She was in the library using their computers to look up her family in this universe.

"Of all the things for this flippin' cosmos to keep the same," she whispered to herself, and minimized the screen with the death announcement of Grace Mary Sheehan: her mum.

Apparently her mum and dad never met here and so she'd never been born. Neither of them had married, and just like her original universe, her mum had died of cancer.

Well, at least she could visit her grave. That was something similar.

Actually, the two universes were identical, except for the obvious lack of Doctor Who, Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures, and anything connected them. Those things, her non-birth, and the fact that Rose Marion Tyler had died as a baby with her father in a car accident were the only differences as far as she could tell.

There was still a Jackie Tyler though, and Mickey Smith, Martha Jones, Donna Noble, and everyone else that had travelled with the Doctor. Even the Brigadier was here, which made her smile. She would have to remember to arrange meeting him with the Doctor.

Speaking of the Time Lord, she found conspiracy sites (one for L.I.N.D.A.) mentioning him, but nothing else. The date here was the 3rd of February, 2005. No Auton invasion had happened yet, and her best guess as to when it would happen was the original airdate of the episode _Rose_, which was on March 26. It wasn't much, but it was the only information she had to go on.

** **

_One Month Later…_

Zoe bit back a triumphant shout as she left Henrik's. It had taken a while to establish a background (with the help of the data pyramid, which had a program for it), but she'd finally been able to get a resume that the store would accept. She was now officially a Henrik's shop girl and one step closer to the Doctor.

She decided to treat herself and eat at a pricey place. Well, it wasn't really a treat. After she'd figured out this universe was so much like hers, she'd used the knowledge of 2005 from her data thing-y to place "bets" on certain racehorses and teams. It wasn't exactly moral, but it was better than making ATM's spit out cash.

With her ill-gained funds she'd set herself up at a nicer hotel by the Millennium Wheel and bought pretty much anything she wanted. Not that she was channeling her inner Paris Hilton, but her Time-Vortex-Absorbing skills weren't cheap. It was the least this universe could offer after taking her from her own.

Apart from giving herself a history here and "setting up shop" so to speak, she spent her time brushing up on her Doctor Who knowledge. She embarked on a marathon of episodes from the first ever to the last broadcast.

Koschei hadn't been kidding when he said every broadcast from the past to her present. The data pyramid even had the original broadcasts from the sixties, which meant she got to see the missing episodes- every new fan's dream.

She also experimented with the sonic screwdriver in her free time. After taking note of the setting for cash spewing and verifying the barbed wire one, she chose random settings and took notes on the results. So far she'd started 17 accidental fires, drained the power to the hotel twice, ruined 5 i-pods and 6 mobiles, hacked into the F.B.I. by chance, melted 76 miscellaneous items, and shattered 245 glass objects.

On the upside, she'd found the setting to unscrew screws. She'd gleefully spent an hour taking apart the furniture in her room after that discovery, only to realize the setting didn't put them back in.

Needless to say, Zoe learned to carefully put away her valuables before practicing.

** **

_Two Weeks Later…_

"Cheers!" Zoe cried along with her friends, and clinked glasses over the circular table. Tomorrow was the 25th, and if her calculations were right, the day the Doctor would blow up her job at Henrik's. There was only one problem- she wasn't in charge of the lottery money. One of her new friends from Henrik's was. The name? Shireen. Go figure.

Shireen (whose last name was Horner) apparently lived in the Powell Estates and was dating Mickey Smith, if things could get any weirder.

It seemed Shireen was filling the role of Rose in these cases. At first Zoe had wondered why she hadn't just travelled with the Doctor in Rose's place as well, but as she got to know the girl better she realized why. Shireen was fun and humorous and normal. Very, very, very, normal. As in, boring and narrow-minded normal.

She was a wonderful friend, though. Zoe had gotten to know her well, and through her, Mickey and a few other kids from the Estate. Shireen just wasn't companion material.

Zoe hoped she could still call her a friend if she went missing for a year, though. Shireen reminded her of her friends back home, on her world- content with what they knew.

**Zoe** had been like that before the abduction. Like any Whovian she'd wished she could see some of the things the Doctor did, that it was real to an extent; but all that time she had miraculously managed to stay grounded in reality.

But she wasn't one to fuss over something that couldn't be changed. If something (like being taken to live in a telly show) happened, she dealt with it. She refused to be shaken. She moved on. She adapted. She took things in stride. She had learned that from the aftermath of her mum's death. She'd learned to keep living, and that was what she was doing now.

Maybe that could make her a good companion. That and the fact she already knew a lot of the stuff coming.

Zoe banished all these troublesome thoughts for the night, and toasted to the future with her new best friends.


	3. The Oncoming Storm Arrives and Leaves

** **

_25 March 2005…_

Zoe's heart stopped when she finally saw him. She'd been hoping, **praying** this would be the day, but surprisingly she didn't feel ready… just scared.

She'd gone to work as usual, and left earlier than Shireen did. As soon as she got off she ran to a café she'd picked out when this started, and sat down to wait. The café was right across from the alley the TARDIS was supposed to land in.

Zoe had been staring at the spot for what felt like an hour before she saw it materialize. Surprisingly, she felt it too. All the hairs on her arms pricked up at the sound and sight of the blue box.

Without realizing it, Zoe held her breath as she saw the very familiar face of the Ninth Doctor come out of the TARDIS. He looked at his sonic screwdriver (probably to check readings or something) and headed towards the shop.

She unconsciously clutched the edge of the table so hard her knuckles turned white. All her senses were focused on the Time Lord and she couldn't move until he disappeared around the corner.

Letting out a huge gasp, Zoe stood up from her chair suddenly, knocking the table and setting it shaking, along with the cup of her unfinished tea. She half ran out of the café and across the street, narrowly missing traffic as she made her way to the TARDIS. All she could think, hear, and see was the ship.

Finally making it across, she stopped in front of it and stood stock still.

"Hi, girl. Remember me? Or maybe not… that timeline and its TARDIS is gone now, I expect. Anyways, I know you."

Hesitantly Zoe reached out and put a very shaky hand on the wooden side. It was warm and thrumming, sending a pulse of something down her arm. It felt good, safe; even familiar in a way.

She laughed breathily and stepped closer, putting both hands on the doors and leaning her cheek against the panels. She hadn't changed positions when Henrik's blew up.

Looking up in surprise, the calming effect of the TARDIS was the only thing that kept her from jumping out of her skin. She blinked, the lull the sentient ship had put her in wearing off. Loud running steps announced someone coming, so she drew back into the shadows and watched Shireen run past the alley, a plastic arm in hand.

Zoe sighed with relief. Shireen had made it.

After giving an awkward hug to the TARDIS and whispering "I'll see you soon," she followed Shireen discreetly, walking slowly, not once looking back at the burning building or seeing a leather-clad man covered in soot enter a police box.

** **

Zoe took a deep breath and knocked on the door to Shireen's flat. It bothered her to act like this, but she was going to pretend to be as shocked at the explosion as her friend. If she had the mannequin arm there was no reason to think the Doctor wouldn't track it back here tomorrow morning, and meeting him then would seem a lot less suspicious than running up to him out of the blue and asking to travel with him.

Bringing her out of her thoughts, the door opened suddenly.

"Shireen! Are you okay?"

Her friend wrapped her up in a big embrace. "I was right there, Zoey! I'd just left!"

Shireen was near hysteria: definitely not Rose. She let Zoe in and locked the door behind her with extra caution, before throwing herself back into Zoe's arms and crying.

"Ssh, ssh." She rubbed small circles on her friends back and took in the red eyes, messy hair, and ruined makeup. "Blimey, you're a mess."

Shireen drew back and rolled her eyes. "Oh, thanks."

Zoe smiled. "Sorry. Look, take a seat and I'll make us a cuppa while you tell me about it, 'kay?"

** **

Three cups and half a tin of biscuits later Shireen had spilled everything.

"…And then the man with the bomb threatened me, said if I told anyone this I'd get them killed! Crud, Zoey! What if you die because of me now?!"

Zoe tried to calm her wailing friend. "Relax, Shireen. He was probably just trying to sound intimidating or something. It's not like he can know who you tell."

Shireen snorted. "He blew Henrik's sky high. That's intimidating enough for me. Plus he obviously wasn't alone. Those people dressed like mannequins had to be with him. Maybe they were students and this was a prank. I bet the bomb was something a chemistry student cooked up in a lab. Ooh! Did I ever tell the time in school when a kid blew the chem. Lab up? Stunk up the halls for days!"

Zoe smiled wryly and sat back to enjoy the story. It was interesting to see how Shireen was rationalizing the whole incident, forcing it to fit in her view of the world. This must be what the Doctor saw in most of society, why he called them stupid apes. In some ways she wished the luxury of ignorance back.

But that would never happen.

** **

There was a very annoying sound in Zoe's ear. She didn't appreciate it in the least, and stretched her arm back, trying to find the source and end it. She couldn't feel it and rolled over for a better reach.

_Thump_

"Oww…" Zoe groaned from the floor next to the sofa. She stared at the ceiling and remembered last night.

Talking, laughing, storytelling, playing games, gossiping, painting each other's nails: oh, and Mickey had stopped by before being sent off (with instructions to get rid of the plastic arm) by Zoe, who'd slept over. It had been a perfectly normal evening with her friend, and she'd relished it, knowing it could be the last one for a long time.

With a sigh, Zoe got up and tidied the couch, resisting the urge to check behind it just yet. She went into the flat's kitchen and started breakfast before freshening up and putting the clothes from yesterday back on. Once breakfast was done she got her friend up by tickling and spent ten minutes being chased around the flat by a grumpy Shireen. By the time that was done they had to reheat breakfast.

"I don't see why you had to get me up so early," grumbled Zoe's host. "It's not like we have a job to go to anymore."

"Exactly! You need to start looking for one, although I suggest suing for compensation. You need to go talk to the Police. The probably have forms. After all, you've had genuine shock and trauma!"

"Well what about you? You're out of work as well, princess."

Zoe was saved from answering by the rattle of a cat-flap.

"What? I thought I nailed that flap down weeks back!"

Shireen started to get up, but Zoe moved from her frozen position and grabbed her arm.

"Wait! I mean… let me get it. I've had my jabs and the cat could have rabies… or something." It was a lame excuse but Shireen just shrugged and went back to her room.

Swallowing her anxiety, Zoe stared at the screws by the door and shut her emotions away. It was a bad habit, but it was the only way she could deal with things sometimes. It had come in very useful since her mum had died.

The flap rattled again and she finished putting up her façade. She knelt by the little door and pushed the flap in, performing the same routine Rose had. Christopher Eccleston looked back at her.

She stood and opened the door fast enough to catch him getting up. He had that perfect little confused frown on his face that she loved. It made him so cute.

"Who are you?" he asked.

Zoe raised an incredulous eyebrow at his tone. "Why, expecting someone different?"

He was about to reply when Shireen looked over Zoe's shoulder to see who was talking.

"Eep! It's him! Zoe, that's the guy with the bomb!"

"What are you doing here?!" the Doctor exclaimed at seeing her.

Shireen wasn't really fit to answer so Zoe did for her. "She lives here, Mr. the-guy-with-the-bomb. What about you?"

"Tracin' a signal. You're not made of plastic, are you?"

Zoe crossed her arms and gave him a look. "This is all natural, thank you very much."

The Doctor sighed long-sufferingly. "Then I got the wrong signal. Probably a hairdryer. Bye then!" With that he turned to go.

"Inside, now."

"Zoe! What are you doing?" Shireen yelped, as she pulled the Doctor into the flat.

"I'm getting answers. Why don't you make some tea while I interrogate the prisoner?" Shireen hesitantly obeyed.

"This prisoner has a name, you know."

Zoe leaned against the wall and studied the Doctor as he looked around the living room. "Oh yeah; Mr. the-guy-with-the-bomb."

"It's the Doctor, actually."

Zoe couldn't think of a natural answer for that except 'I know', which wouldn't work considering she technically just met him. Instead she changed topics.

"So you're the one that blew up my job. Thanks, by the way. I hated it there."

"You're welcome," he tried to reply around a mouthful of sausage he'd stolen from her nearby plate.

"How do you like your tea?"

"Milk, no sugar, thanks."

"You get that Shireen?" Zoe said into the kitchen. She got a nervous affirmative in response.

"So," Zoe started, trying to think of something to say. "I heard they found a body."

Clattering sounds came from the kitchen and Shireen raced out to grab at Zoe's arm.

"It was Wilson! Oh my word, he killed Wilson!" She pulled Zoe behind her and backed into the kitchen, taking the phone off the hook. "I'm callin' the police!" She cried.

"Shireen! Shireen, calm down!" Zoe said, taking the phone away.

"But… Zoe he **killed** Wilson! I know he did! He's a murderer!"

"Nonsense! I never even met Wilson; alive that is," replied the Doctor casually from the doorway.

"Not helping," Zoe snapped sarcastically. She turned back to comfort Shireen, vicariously calming herself in the process until five little words reached her ears:

"Have you got a cat?"

Zoe reached the living room just in time to see the mannequins arm attack the Doctor's throat.

"Crud!" she cried and immediately joined his efforts in getting it off. Shireen added a shriek to the melee and then the party **really** got started.

With a 'zzzshuckt!' sound, just like in the episode, the plastic arm detached from the Doctor's throat and paused mid-air before spinning and attacking her face. The fact she had known this was a possibility didn't abate her panic that much. The hand had a pretty good grip on her and it was hard to breathe.

The Doctor toppling onto her made her pause, and she willed herself still to make it easier for him. She opened her eyes and saw him with the sonic screwdriver, tongue in between teeth, trying different settings on the mannequin arm. His ice blue eyes were right above her, and she could feel the leather of his jacket on her bare arms. He was so close… the Doctor was **right there**…

And then he wasn't. Instead he was smiling and babbling about how the arm was harmless except he didn't pronounce the h on purpose so it sounded like armless and wasn't he just so funny? And then he left.


	4. Story Time

**IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**I just did a HUGE rewrite on this story. Almost all of the first chapter is new, along with added or deleted parts in other ones. Most of the dialogue is unchanged, but I really changed the introduction to Zoe, as I feel it will be easier for me to write her.**

**Also, I know it looks like there are fewer chapters, but I just combined some, and the last one is completely new material! :D I hope to be posting longer chapters only from now on, as a hundred little ones just get frustrating. I can't promise a steady pattern of chapters (though I'll do my best!!!!) but as long as I have reviews, I'll keep writing!!!!**

**I can't tell you how much I appreciated the original reviews! I really hope you guys still like the story, as it is still heading in the same direction as planned!**

** **

Zoe blinked as the Oncoming Storm swept out of the flat, leaving two very confused humans in his wake. It took her a moment but then she was after him, Shireen calling her in vain.

"Wait! Doctor… just wait a tic!" she demanded, catching up to him on the stairs.

"Sorry, no can do. Busy man, me!"

"Oh, come off it! You can spare me five minutes!"

"No I can't!" he replied cheerfully. "If I'm gonna trace the signal I need to be quick about it."

"Signal?"

"Yeah, the one controlling the arm. If I'm gonna trace it back to the source, it has to be a recent signal. So- I can't spare you five minutes."

Zoe flipped some hair out of her eyes impatiently, still struggling to match the Time Lord's stride. "It's not gonna work, you know."

"What won't work?" the Doctor said, gracing her with a brief glance.

Her eyes glinted with mischief. "Tracing the signal with the arm. You see, the arm is too simple. You need something more complex to find the Nestene Consciousness," she rattled off smugly.

The Doctor stopped so fast Zoe ran into him. He turned and looked down at her with a calculating gaze, forehead furrowed in thought.

"How do you know that?" His voice was serious and deeper, and Zoe was close enough to hear his chest rumble as he said it.

She raised her chin to look up at him, unafraid and defiant. With a sly smile and syrupy voice, she said: "The answer will take more than five minutes to explain."

She could swear she saw a muscle in his jaw twitch. She grinned in the pleasure of having all the answers he wanted. For once, he had to play by someone else's rules.

Zoe turned abruptly on her heel and started walking in the direction she knew he was going: to the TARDIS. After a moment he followed her, never taking his narrowed eyes off her back.

"My name is Rosemary Zoe Taylor," she said, deciding to start at the beginning. "But call me Zoe. If you call me Rosemary I will put you through a wood-chipper, feed your remains to a hyena, kill the hyena and encase it with cement, then dump the cement block into the Marianas Trench."

"Is that supposed to sound impressive?"

Zoe grinned at the familiar question. "Sort of, yeah."

"Doesn't work," came the bored reply. "And what does this have to do with what you know?"

"Tsk, tsk. Patience, dear Doctor. I'm getting there. I was born on the 13th of February, 1990."

"But that would make you only 15, and you can't be that young."

Zoe stopped and spun to face him with her hands on her hips. "Oi! Who's telling the story?!"

This time she **knew** he twitched.

"That's what I thought." She started walking again. "Despite being born in 1990, I'm actually 19 years old. Why, you ask? Because my proper year is 2009."

The Doctor groaned behind her, probably thinking there was a temporal problem along with an Auton one. He had noooooo idea.

"Let me guess: I'll know you in the future and tell you this," he said acerbically.

Zoe smiled sadly. "It's a bit more complicated than that. I **am** from the future, and I **do** know you, but I'm not from **your** future."

"You're not makin' any sense," the Doctor complained.

Zoe stopped. She took a deep breath and forced herself to meet his gaze.

"I'm from a parallel world where time is ahead of here. This has already happened there, which is why I know how this ends."

Her green eyes begged him to believe her, to help her and let her in.

His blue eyes searched hers, processing all he knew about her and making a decision.

Nothing was actually spoken as they silently communicated in the graffiti-covered alley.

"Come on." The Doctor's voice was low, and his northern accent shaped the words, making them sound like so much more.

Zoe stared as he held out a hand to her. The moment froze and replayed in her head.

_Of all the things that have happened, this is the most surreal_, she thought as she took it. How had she not noticed how small hers was? The Doctor's comfortably calloused hand dwarfed hers. He tugged it gently, leading her in silence for several minutes before they reached a familiar blue box where he dropped her hand to open the doors.

The Doctor paused with the key in the lock. "I suppose you know what's in here," he said, more of a statement than question.

Zoe nodded and smiled. "TARDIS. T-A-R-D-I-S. Stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space; although I always thought that if it was a proper acronym, the 'and' and 'in' wouldn't be used. It travels through time and space and doesn't always go where you planned. She's the best ship in the universe, even if she's not the most reliable."

The Doctor gave her a bemused smile and opened the doors, walking in.

Zoe's mouth opened as she entered behind him. "…Oh, I forgot. It's also dimensionally transcendental."

The Doctor grinned, blue eyes shining in the glow of the time rotor, as he watched her walk around the room with a hand trailing behind to stroke the walls and struts. Her lips were still parted in amazement as she drank in every last detail with all her senses.

"Thought you been in here before?" he asked, voice laced with humor.

"Yeah, once… but I was a bit busy being kidnapped to enjoy it," she said with a hint of a smile.

"I take it that was when you came to this universe?"

Zoe finally turned to him and blinked. "You believe me?"

He nodded. "Had the TARDIS scan you."

He spun the monitor so she could see it also. "Congratulations- you're a human female; 5' 9"; of Anglo-Saxon descent; 19 years, 5 months, and 18 days of age, and perfectly healthy except for the Void particles surrounding you. Although it wouldn't hurt to floss more."

Zoe started in surprise. How did he **do** that?

The Time Lord in question was looking at her intensely now, making her feel a bit awkward.

"What?" she asked nervously.

"Your time line," he said as if it explained everything.

"What about it?" Zoe was really anxious. She didn't know how much he could actually see, but there was quite a bit she knew he shouldn't.

"For one, it only starts seven weeks ago. Was that when you came over?"

She nodded.

"Must be I can't see time from the other universe, then. But what's even stranger is what's ahead of you."

Her eyes widened and she swallowed before replying in a scratchy voice. "What do you see?"

"I see what could be and what should not. There are far more 'should not's' than 'could be's'. If I believed in that stuff, I'd say you have a destiny. But I can't see what it is."

"Then stop trying!" Zoe surprised herself by snapping. "Sorry… it's just… I'm here for a purpose- that 'destiny' you saw- and I don't think you're supposed to know it yet. There's still a while to go before I reach it."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow and leaned back against the console with his arms folded. "Are you saying I'm part of it?"

Zoe fixed him with a steady and firm gaze. "You have **everything** to do with it. You're the whole reason it happens. You're the reason I'm here." She couldn't help a tinge of bitterness seeping into her voice.

His face flickered with emotion, but it disappeared before she could decipher it.

"So," he changed topics, "tell me about who I am to you in the other universe. Exactly how much do you know about me?"

She looked up from where she'd been studying the grating and met his eyes. "You won't like it."

"Try me! See, despite you being covered in Void stuff, I know it's impossible for you to know me in the other universe. There are no other me's in the multi-verse."

"Isn't it possible that whatever kept there from being alternate Time Lord's was destroyed in the Time War?"

Zoe didn't waver, but the Doctor couldn't hide his reaction. He paled and stared at her. She felt slightly bad about bringing it up when he was so vulnerable, but she had to discourage him from asking what she knew.

Her green eyes were sad as she watched his mask slide back up and he turned away from her, fiddling with a switch most likely pointless on the console. She resisted the urge to comfort him. He barely knew her, though she knew oh-so-much about him. More than any other companion he'd ever had, probably.

"So how did you get here?" Apparently they would pretend the war hadn't been mentioned.

Zoe took a deep breath and blew it out dramatically. "That's another story I don't wanna get in to."

The Doctor looked at her over his shoulder with his body still leant over the controls. "I can't help you get back if I don't get some information here."

Zoe's heart leapt at the thought of going home, and for just a second she let herself believe, really believe and hope that it was possible. But it wasn't, and reality came crashing back down on her shoulders, steadily driving her into the ground.

"I can't." Her voice broke and she took a moment to steady herself. "I have to do what I was brought here for. And he- the person who brought me here- said returning was as likely as… as getting a pony for my birthday." She laughed a little, half-sobbing at the reference to the clichéd little girl's wish.

Standing here in the TARDIS, with the Doctor nearby, drove home everything that had happened. Her eyes started to water and she shut them tight, clenching her fists and berating herself for crying.

"I'm sorry!" she gasped around a sob. "I haven't cried for weeks! I'm better than this, I swear. It's just that… I don't know! I shouldn't be like this. I'm alive. It could be so much worse. I've lived comfortably, made friends, and have things from home- but I can't help it! I should be ecstatic- I get to meet you, see time and space, have adventures that weren't possible before. I shouldn't be so upset!"

Zoe didn't realize how tight her fingernails had dug into her palms until the Doctor took her hands and unclenched them and she saw the faintest traces of blood. How stupid and useless must she look to him? He would never ask her to travel with him now. What was she supposed to do if he didn't?

Steeling herself for his reaction, she raised her head and finally met his eyes. They took her breath away.

She'd read stories that spun beautiful descriptions of the Ninth Doctor's eyes. Poems had been written about them. But they were nothing compared to real life. It wasn't the unique shade of blue, or their intensity. It was the reflection of her own feelings in them.

He wasn't disappointed or repulsed by her- he understood her. In hindsight it made sense. He'd lost his world too after all.

A wave of comfort flooded her body and her eyelids fluttered shut. A deep breath in and out, a small sigh, and she opened them again with a small smile.

After searching her face, the Doctor gave her own back, the corners pulling up slowly until a mega-watt grin covered the bottom half of his head.

"Rosemary Zoe Taylor,"- how did he make her name sound so special?- "I promise I'll do everything I can to get you back home. If for no other reason than it's my job!"

Zoe chuckled a bit and he drew back, letting her wrists go and turning back to the console.

"Hope you don't mind if I sort this Auton thing out first, though. Don't suppose you'd tell me how ended for your Doctor?"

Zoe stuck her tongue out and joined him at the console. "Need a little help, Doctor?"

He looked at her affronted. "Course not! I'm genius, me! Just thought I'd let you feel useful."

She threw her head back and laughed. "You're full of it!"

"Sort of, yeah," he said grinning.

"I'd love to help, but I'm not sure giving you all the answers would be safe. I was brought here because time was already fragile- I don't think it's best to tell you all I know."

A measure of respect showed in the Doctor's face as he nodded. "Fair enough, but will you at least tell me if I'm getting warm?"

The sound of laughter echoed through the TARDIS for the first time since the Time War.


	5. The Climactic Chapter

Gah! I'm so sorry I haven't posted for so long, but I briefly lost interest in this episode and was working on rewriting later ones *smiles sheepishly*

But I'm back now! I don't think it will take as long to get the next chapter up, which will start my rewrite of **The End of the World**.

I just want to give a BIG thanks to all my reviewers who haven't given up on me :D You'll never know how much I appreciate it!!! They make my world turn ;)

** **

"Tell me about yourself."

Zoe froze with her cup half-way to her mouth. She'd gone to make tea for herself and the Doctor while he made up a batch of anti-plastic. He'd taken his cup with a "thanks" and then randomly said the above sentence.

"What?" she squeaked, eyes wide.

The Doctor calmly leaned back on the console and sipped from his cuppa before repeating himself. His look suggested she wasn't getting out of this.

She stalled for time. "Um… where should I start?"

"How about your family?"

Zoe flinched and cleared her throat before replying. "Dad: I gotta dad."

"So does a monkey! Not much information there. Who else? Your mum?" the Doctor pushed.

Her eyes stayed glued to the floor. "Dead. Breast cancer. She went… quick. It was aggressive and we lost her within the year." She laughed bitterly. "And then I come here and it's the same, only she never met my dad, had me."

"She wouldn't have been your mum anyways. Different person here than there."

"I know; gingerbread houses."

Neither the Time Lord or the human said anything for a bit, just drank tea.

"I'm sorry."

Zoe looked up at the apology, but could only feel anger. "Yeah, you should be. You're the one bringing it up."

"Well, you know about me, just wanted to learn about you!"

She didn't have a reply to that and looked away. In a soft voice she spoke up again.

"I don't have any siblings, and only my dad's parents. No cousins or uncles, though my mum had a sister. In a way I suppose it's better like that; not as many people to lose. And I never had time for any real close friends. Always moving around."

"Was that cause your dad's job?"

"Hmm?" Zoe looked up, puzzled. "Oh, no- we travelled."

The Doctor seemed interested. "Where'd you travel?"

She smiled wistfully. "Everywhere. Not in time and space, mind you, but throughout the globe. Europe, Africa, Asia… we were at Machu Picchu when I was kidnapped." Zoe sighed. "We hadn't made it to Australia yet. And I **really** wanted to pet a koala!"

The Doctor chuckled at the face Zoe made and she smiled back.

"**I** could always take you," the Time Lord said cautiously, a bit hesitant of her reply.

Zoe looked at him, **really** looked at him. "What… like travel with you? In the TARDIS?"

He nodded, but for some reason her mouth wouldn't work. The word 'yes' wouldn't come out.

"Why?"

Both the Doctor and Zoe seemed surprised she'd said that.

"I mean," she tried to clarify, "is it because you're afraid something will happen to time if you don't, or because you actually want me to come?"

Her huge green eyes and his startled blue ones locked for a moment, and he opened his mouth to respond, when…

_Beepbeepbeep! Beepbeepbeep!_

The Doctor set his cuppa down and sprang to the monitor.

"What is it?" Zoe asked, looking over his shoulder at the geometric script.

"More Auton activity! It's stronger, too!" He looked at her with a mad grin. "It's **complex**!"

And with that he'd put them in flight, presumably to the stronger signal.

** **

_What?!_ was the only thing that ran through Zoe's head as she saw the scene before her.

Shireen and a plastic Mickey were eating Chinese at the same restaurant Rose and plastic Mickey had.

"Who's the bloke?" the Doctor asked as they peeked out the round window from the kitchen door.

"Her boyfriend, Mickey Smith. Well, that isn't really **him** now, is it?"

"Nope," the Doctor said simply.

Zoe sighed heavily. "Yeahhhhh… she's not gonna take this well."

"We better get it over quick then- like ripping off a band aid!"

She looked over at the grinning Time Lord, not sure what to say to that, then just laughed.

"I'll distract 'em."

The tail end of a sentence reached her ears as she approached the table.

"… he's dangerous."

"Hey."

Shireen turned around. "Zoe! Where'd you go? You just ran off with the Doctor bloke."

"Yeah, Zoe, where is he?" plastic Mickey asked. She didn't answer right away and grabbed an extra chair before speaking.

"Ohhhh- somewhere. Why do you care?" Her elbows were on the table and her chin rested in her hands.

"Cause we were worried! I still don't think he's safe." Shireen broke in.

"Yeah, babe- mate- babe- doll- mate! We're just worried."

Zoe never broke eye contact with plastic Mickey as he spoke. His speech pattern was weird enough on telly, but even weirder in real life. She couldn't see how Shireen mistook him for real Mickey.

Speaking of his girlfriend… "Look at how twisted up you got Mickey's tongue! That's how worried we were."

Zoe leaned in closer to Mickey and stared at him menacingly. "Oh, I don't think I'm the one 'twisting' Mickey's tongue."

"Wine?" came the Doctor's voice suddenly. Her concentration almost broke, and her mouth twitched up at the corners in silent recognition.

"No thanks. Just tell me where he is, Zoey. We only want to protect you." Plastic Mickey smiled sickeningly and gripped her arm like a steel vice. When she tried to pull away he kept it pinned to the table.

"Let go of me," she said calmly, and tried again to no avail.

"Wine?" The Doctor moved over to her side, still being ignored.

"Mick, just let her arm go," Shireen said, finally noticing something was off.

"Doesn't anybody want my wine?"

All three of them looked up at the Doctor, who had a perfectly innocent expression on. Plastic Mickey broke the dead silence.

"You."

"Oh, don't mind me. Just toastin' the happy couple. Or is that trio?" The Doctor grinned at Zoe, then popped the top of the shaken bottle of champagne.

** **

Two minutes later, Zoe was trying to convince Shireen to come back to the safety of the TARDIS.

"Forget it, Zoe! It's **alien**!"

"So is the headless, paddle-handed, plastic Mickey breaking through that door! At least this alien doesn't wanna chop our heads off!"

A sudden crash alerted just how close the Auton was to breaking through. Not giving her a choice, Zoe grabbed Shireen and pulled her into the police box just as a piece of the metal door flew off from the assault.

"No no no no no!"

The two girls looked over at the sound of an angry Time Lord. Zoe could see the problem.

"Oh my word… is Mickey's head melting?" Shireen whispered to her.

"Um… looks like," Zoe replied.

The Doctor was running around the console like a mad man and the TARDIS took flight.

"What's happening?" Shireen cried, grabbing Zoe's arm as the room shook. There wasn't time to reply when a moment later it stopped and the Doctor ran out the doors.

"Where's he going? It's not safe out… there."

Shireen looked around as she stepped out.

"We moved."

"It disappears there, reappears here," Zoe explained lamely. "And don't worry about the fake Mickey- he melted with the head."

"Mickey!" she gasped in terror. "Oh my word! Is he dead?"

"No no no!" Zoe was quick to reassure her friend. "They kept him alive to maintain plastic Mickey. We're gonna rescue him, don't worry."

Shireen just shook her head and shrank back from Zoe. "How do you **know** all this?"

"I- I just… do, okay?" Zoe's eyes pleaded with Shireen, whose own eyes were shedding tears fast.

"Are you alien too?" she whispered, obviously scared of the answer.

Zoe flinched at the look on her best friends face. "No. I'm human. Promise, I am."

Shireen nodded once. "I- I'm goin' home, Zoey. I got stuff and… stuff. I need tea. I'll see you later, yeah? And you'll bring Mickey back safe?"

Zoe swallowed, heart breaking at seeing the wreck that was Shireen Horner. "Yeah. Be careful on your way back."

The shop girl walked away quickly, and Zoe blinked back a few tears of her own, then faced the Doctor, who'd been silently watching the exchange and leaning against his ship.

"You alright?"

She nodded, a bit surprised he asked.

"Good, because we have to find the transmitter. How can you hide something that huge, smack dab in the middle of London?" He was pacing now, stopping suddenly by the water edge, the Eye right behind him.

"Have you seen anything like that?"

Zoe grinned as she looked pointedly behind him. He turned to see what she saw.

"What?"

She cleared her throat and motioned again to the Millennium Wheel.

"What is it? What?"

Zoe was positively beaming now, basking in the glow of her superior knowledge.

He looked once more. "Oh." His own grin appeared like magic, lighting up the night around them. "Fantastic!"

** **

_That's __**definitely **__not a green screen_, Zoe thought.

The Nestene Consciousness boiled and raged beneath them, casting echoes and an orange glow around the massive room. It smelled (unsurprisingly) like someone had put a plastic spoon on the stove and melted it. The heat-wave of chemical-filled air hit her and made her step back, blinking and coughing in the haze.

"Right; give me the anti-plastic and you go down and try to talk the Nestene out of this."

The Doctor looked at her like she'd grown another head.

"Excuse me, who's in charge?"

Zoe rolled her eyes and shook her out-held hand impatiently.

"Just trust me and hand over the flippin' vial. I know what I'm doing."

The Doctor sighed and slowly handed the blue solution to her, before addressing the Consciousness.

"Am I… blah blah blah… according to… yakkety yak… Shadow Proclamation. Thank you," was all she heard while searching for the huddled form of Mickey Smith.

"Mickey!"

As soon as Zoe saw him she ran down the stairs to the cowering boy, the Doctor following behind her at a more leisurely pace.

"Zoe! That thing- it can talk!"

"Ssh, I know. Listen, don't worry about this. Shireen is safe and sound and waiting for you with tea at home. Although," she said, wrinkling her nose, "you might wanna take a shower before getting too close."

** **

The TARDIS had been captured. Zoe looked at the blue box and, as always, wondered how the Nestene had managed that. Now she had the chance, she'd have to ask the Doctor.

"Zoe! Get out!"

The Time Lord's frantic voice alerted her to the present situation. Suddenly a blue light started pulsing.

"Oh, crud!" she exclaimed. The transmission had started and she had maybe thirty seconds before the first person was killed. She considered just throwing the vial into the Consciousness with the cork pulled off, but she was certain some would spill and she had no idea how much was needed to stop the Nestene. However, she could always drop it…

It took a precious five seconds for her to locate the chain and another fifteen to set it free. And even then it took her another five to work up the courage.

"I never took gymnastics, but I've rock climbed and abseiled down caverns. Also, it's the only way," she murmured to herself, and took a deep breath before swinging over the writhing alien entity.

She shrieked uncontrollably and fumbled with one hand to remove the cork, only one arm holding her weight on the moving chain. With a shout of triumph she managed to drop the vial, cork removed, onto the Nestene, which immediately increased its writhing and loud cries.

_Yes!_ She thought triumphantly.

_No!_

Her hand on the chain slipped, the sweat on it speeding up the slide down the bottom. The red and orange and extremely hot pit beneath her loomed closer and closer and she was gonna die…

"Zoe!"

Leather clad arms caught her just in time.

Catching her breath, Zoe looked into the face of her savior.

"That was the stupidest thing I've ever seen!" The Doctor admonished.

"Yeah, I know." Zoe agreed wholeheartedly.

The huge grin on the Time Lords face came as a bit of a surprise.

"It was fantastic!"

** **

The cooler London air wafted over Zoe as she and Mickey stumbled out of the TARDIS and into an abandoned side street. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before turning back to face the figure in the doorway.

"Nestene Consciousness, easy!" The Doctor snapped to emphasize his words.

Zoe beamed at him. "You'd be dead if it wasn't for me!"

He didn't beam back, but instead kept a steady and serious, though not scary, gaze on her.

"Yeah, I would. And so would millions of others."

Zoe blushed a bit and turned her attention to Mickey as a distraction.

"Listen Mick, go on home, clean up, and take tea with Shireen. And take this." She reached into her jean pockets and pulled up a folded piece of paper. It was a letter she'd prepared ahead of time that explained to the two of them as much as she dared.

"Zoe, what about you? Come with me. No one will believe this!"

"Shireen will."

"I'm not leaving you with that- that- thing!" he said, pointing a shaky finger at the Doctor.

Zoe sighed and laid a hand on his cheek. "Mickey Smith, go home. I'll be fine. I know what I'm doing, 'kay?"

It took a moment, but the boy nodded slowly. She smiled softly at the loyalty and concern he was showing, even after the day he'd had. Her eyes followed him until he was out of sight, waving in return to him one last time. She sighed and turned back to the Time Lord who'd been uncharacteristically silent during the exchange.

"So what now?"

He shrugged. "That's up to you. Back to a life of chips and telly and work five days a week- or you could come with me, travel again, see Australia."

She flipped her hair back and stared at the light on top of the TARDIS instead of him.

"You never answered my question."

"Oi! Auton invasion, remember? A bit more important than your domestics."

Zoe laughed softly and met his eyes. He sobered and stepped out the doorway, walking towards her till there was only a foot between them.

He lowered his head to meet her gaze directly. "Zoe Taylor, timelines or not, I'd want you with me."

If it was possible, Zoe's heart stopped for a full minute. He hadn't just given her a simple reply: he'd said he wanted her with him, regardless if it was her destiny. He'd made it personal and special in a way no one else could, said it in that magical voice with those impressive eyes. It sent shivers down her spine and put a goofy grin on her face.

"'Kay." She launched herself at him and hugged him tightly around the neck. "I'd love to come!"

Zoe's eyes shut as she smiled into the Doctor's shoulder, his arms encircling her as well. One perfect word ran through her mind.

_Fantastic!_


	6. It's the End of the World

Greetings from my room! (no I won't tell you where it is :P )

I'm very very happy to be able to present the first chapter of my rewrite of **The End of the World**, especially this soon after my last post. I promise I'll try to post at least once a week, maybe more often. It won't be regular, most likely, but I **will** finish this!!!!!! I think it might be easier now that my rewrite of **Rose** is done- that took a lot out of me. The rest of my rewrites won't take as long as five chapters either. In fact, I won't be rewriting every episode. Some I don't want to, and some I wouldn't change that much anyways. However, if I decide not to rewrite a certain eppie I will post a sorta flashback chapter or something that will let you know what I **did** change :)

Last of all, thanks to **SciFiGeek14, pheobep3, and WeepingAngel123** for taking time out of their day to review the last chapter!

Much love to everyone! Now enjoy ;)

** **

Zoe closed the TARDIS doors behind her softly and shut her eyes. A smile drifted across her face as she inhaled deeply. The time-space ship smelled like nothing else- a bit of grease, metal, warmth, and life. Also, there was a hint of patchouli.

The smile turned into a full blown grin as she opened her green eyes and they fell upon the Doctor, who was grinning back at her. He looked the happiest since she'd met him, and it filled her to the brim with emotion to know she could bring some light into his life.

"You all set?"

"Yep!" She popped the 'p' and skipped up the ramp to him, casually bumping shoulders over the console. After saying yes she'd ran to her hotel- right across the street actually- and hastily stuffed all her things into it.

Oh, how she loved that bag…

"Right then, Zoe Taylor, backwards or forwards in time?"

Zoe bit her lip, trying to contain the fountain of joy that threatened to spill forth in incoherent babble and noises.

"Forward!"

"How far?"

"Surprise me!"

"You got it!" Suddenly the Time Lord was rushing around the console, at one time reaching in front of her to pull a lever, grinning inches from her face. The whole experience was intoxicating, like many things about him.

The TARDIS wheezed and strained through the Vortex, column pumping in time with the sounds. She watched it, entranced, as the room shook, while the Doctor watched her.

It landed with a thump and he straightened.

"Outside those doors is 12,005, height of the New Roman Empire!"

Twinkling green eyes met blue.

"You think you're sooooo impressive, don't you?"

He reacted as expected, mock offense marking his features and voice.

"I **am** so impressive!"

"You. Wish."

The Doctor's gaze sparked and he accepted her challenge.

"Right, Zoe Taylor, you asked for it! I know **exactly** where to take you."

Their eyes locked and stayed that way the whole rocking trip, even as he pumped the… whatever it was roughly, breaking the uber-intense focus only as it landed.

His leather-clad arm rose and motioned to the doors.

"Where are we?" She thought she knew, but wasn't sure.

He simply shook his arm, silently demanding she find out herself.

A nervous grin in place, she took shaky steps to the doors, pausing to look back at him with her hands on the handles. He raised his eyebrows and shook his arm even more violently.

She turned the handles and slowly stepped out, walking a few metres further. She sensed rather than saw him come out after her, closing the doors, buzzing the sonic screwdriver, and standing by her side as the screen lowered.

Earth hung in the black of space beyond the glass, assuming that's what the window was made of. Zoey's lips parted and even though she knew she might catch space-flies that way, she had no power to close it or look away as the Doctor spoke.

"You lot- you spend all your time thinking about **dying**. Like you're gonna get killed by eggs, or beef, or global warming, or asteroids. But you never take time to imagine the impossible; maybe you survive."

She felt him turn his eyes back to her. "This is the year 5.5/Apple/26, five billion years in your future. And this is day… hold on." She saw him check his watch with a frown. Through the window a flash of light brought their attention back outside.

"This is the day the sun expands."

They both turned to look at each other at the same time. Her face was still shell-shocked. His was placid, casual.

"Welcome to the end of the world."

In her mind she knew the opening credits started now, but real life didn't tend to cut out on dramatic moments. Instead it switched to rather mundane.

"I'm gonna change," she blurted out. He blinked at her.

"Why?"

"Cuz. If the sun explodes I should be wearing a sun dress."

Without waiting for a reply she re-entered the TARDIS, the Doctor on her heels.

"It doesn't explode! It expands!"

She hmmphed and dug through her bag, which she'd dropped by the jump seat. She found what she was looking for: a pale yellow, v-neck, sleeveless dress with a flower pattern.

After yanking her jacket off, exposing a simple camisole, she dragged the garment over her head, then tore her trainers and socks off before taking off her jeans, dress long enough to hide anything inappropriate.

When she looked up the Doctor was staring at her gob-smacked, surprised to have a 19-year old practically stripping in his console room. Not that he was seeing anything.

"What?" she asked. He shook his head.

"You've done this before, haven't you? In the other universe."

Zoe didn't look at him as she pulled out a pair of flats to go with the dress. "Change in the console room?"

"No, I mean been here before, seen it."

She blew a piece of stray hair out of her eyes and grabbed her last accessory: a purse that hung on her shoulder.

"Yes and no."

He snorted. "One of these days you'll have to stop being so enigmatic."

She finally straightened, slipping the purse over her head and winked at him.

"Buy me a drink first."

** **

"_Shuttles 5 and 6 now docking. Guests are reminded that Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation, and religion. Earth-Death is scheduled for 1539, followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite."_

Zoe smiled inwardly at the feminine voice coming from invisible speakers. It really was a funny monologue.

"So when they say guests…" She left the sentence hanging.

"Aliens. No more humans; at least, not the kind like you."

"What are they doing on board this spaceship? What's it all for?"

He stopped his fast pace and started bleeping a panel on the wall.

"It's not really a spaceship. More like an observation deck. The great and the good are gathered to watch the planet burn."

"Why?"

"Fun!" The door he'd been working on opened and they went through. "Mind you, when I say the great and the good, I mean the rich. Thought you already knew this?"

"I do. Earth's the property of some trust, they shifted the continents back to classic Earth, gravity satellites hold the sun back, half an hour before money runs out and my planet gets roasted, we aren't saving it, blah blah blah."

She was too busy examining the alien objects around her in glass cases to pay attention to the expression of stolen thunder on his face.

"So I take it this doesn't impress you?" She didn't miss the sour note in his voice.

"Ah, but those are just the basic facts. With them out of the way, you can tell me all the little details," she reassured him. "Like what the french toast that vase is?"

A more mollified Time Lord looked at what she was pointing at and smiled.

"That? Just a Repeticoran ceremonial chamber pot."

Her mouth made an 'o' shape at that knowledge. "Okay, what's it here for?"

"Platform One was used to observe the death of its planet of origin."

"So all these artifacts are from planets that they watched die?"

"Yep!"

"Where are the ones from Earth?"

"Not added yet. Will be later."

Zoe nodded slowly, remembering Cassandra's 'i-pod' and 'ostrich egg' gifts.

"Who the h*** are you?!"

They both whirled to see the blue Steward striding towards them.

"Oh! That's nice, thanks!" the Doctor said cheerfully.

"But how did you get in? This is a Maximum Hospitality Zone! The guests have disembarked! They're on their way any second now!"

"Oh, that's me! I'm a guest. Look, I've got an invitation. Look, " he said again, showing his psychic paper to the panicking alien.

"There you see, it's fine. See? The Doctor, plus one. I'm the Doctor, and this is Zoe Taylor. She's my plus one! Is that alright?"

The Steward now looked a bit scared but managed to cover it well.

"Well, obviously. Apologies… et cetera."

The Doctor nodded, a melodramatic look on his face.

"If you're on board, we'd better start." The alien looked at them for a moment and smiled tightly.

"Enjoy."

As the other walked away the Doctor turned to Zoe and spoke in a low voice. "The paper's slightly psychic. It shows them-"

"Whatever you want them to see, yeah," she finished for him, smiling. "Must save a lot of time."

"It does actually, yes." He tried to regain his superiority by looking at her condescendingly. Zoe only grinned.

"He's blue! Actually blue. Not paint or makeup- naturally blue!"

"Yeah."

"Fantastic," she murmured more to herself than him.

The Steward began to speak. "We have in attendance the Doctor and Zoe Taylor. Thank you, all staff to their positions." He clapped twice and a bunch of blue munchkins appeared.

"Hurry now! Thank you! Quick as we can! Come along, come along!"

Zoe watched them in fascination. "Are they a different species than him? They're so short!"

"Actually, he's the one that's so different. The others are normal for their kind."

Before Zoe could speak again, the blue announcer started introductions.

"And now, might I introduce the next honoured guest: Representing the Forest of Cheem, we have trees. Namely, Jabe, Lute, and Coffa. There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace. If you could keep the room circulating, thank you."

The names went on- the Moxx of Balhoon; Adherents of the Repeated Meme; the brothers Hop Pyleen; Cal Sparkplug and his wife; Mr. and Mrs. Pacoon, and the Ambassadors from the City-State of Binding Light. She was trying to keep an eye out for the Face of Boe when Jabe approached.

"The gift of peace." Her voice and mannerisms were all grace and manners, elegant and flawless.

"I bring you a cutting of my Grandfather."

The Doctor took it reverently and thanked her, then handed it to Zoe and began patting down his pockets. "Right, gifts…"

Zoe knew his gift would result in flirting. Luckily, she'd come prepared.

"I have them. Sorry, one moment."

Holding the sapling in one hand, she stuffed her other in the purse and pulled out three little squares.

"Our gift of peace: a delicacy from old Earth."

"Thank you," the tree said warmly and took the proffered candy from her palm before moving on.

She smiled a bit smugly at the Doctor, who couldn't stop staring at her.

"Did you just give trees Starburst®?" he asked incredulously.

Zoe stuck out her tongue cheekily. "Thought it fitting in the circumstances."

Just then the door opened once more and Zoe's heart skipped a beat as the Face of Boe glided in. She could have sworn he was looking right her, but then the Moxx of Balhoon was upon them.

"My felicitations upon this historical happenstance. I bring you the gift of bodily saliva!"

A wet blob of his gift landed right next to Zoe's eye and she snorted trying to contain her laughter.

"H-here's your gift, Mr. Moxx," she stuttered. Was her grin a bit too big? Probably, not like she could help it.

"It's a delicacy for old Earth. You can eat it. Probably help you produce more… saliva." She almost lost it on the last word.

"Much gratitude!" The Moxx then popped the candy straight into his mouth, wrapper and all, and drove off.

After a moment of stunned silence she called after him "You're supposed to… oh, never mind."

Zoe's side was aching from holding back her mirth, and it didn't help when the Doctor looked at her like that or elbowed her in the sides.

"Ah! The Adherence of the Repeated Meme!"

The black-cloaked aliens before her quickly sobered her up. She handed the candy over to the Doctor, not trusting herself to put it in their hands rather than pelting them with it. And when the Doctor handed her the silver sphere, she got so caught up at scowling at it she missed them introducing Cassandra until she heard that unmistakable voice.

"I know! I know! It's shocking isn't it? I've had my chin **completely** taken away, and look at the difference! Look how thin I am! Thin and dainty. I don't look a day over 2,000!"

The Doctor was dying silently of laughter by her side and she wanted to join him, but could only gaze sadly at the twisted creature. It was like a futuristic version of anorexia. It was depressing.

Wordlessly she thrust the sphere in the Doctor's hands and walked closer, by her side, examining the reality of this villain. It most certainly wasn't CGI either.

She watched with tragic eyes as Cassandra made a joke about her ex-husband and the legends of the Ostrich. She swallowed as she called the jukebox an i-pod. She closed her eyes as _Tainted Love_ began to play. And she left the room as alien conversation struck up around her once more.

** **

See the lonely button below me…

… it wants to be pushed ;)

Also, this is not beta'd or edited. I finished this chapter twenty minutes ago, so if it's lousy, sorry *blushes*


	7. As We Know It

Hello again! Missed me? I know I was a very very bad girl and haven't posted for a while, but I bring bananas as gifts of peace!

Heaps of love to **DoctorBadWolf89, , ROGMethos, WeepingAngel123, and cat2772!** Reviews are love!

Also, I'm dedicating this chapter to Kathryn Shadow because she updated her story, Alternatively! *cheers loudly*

Remember to say if you like or no like- I'm very anxious that this isn't my best writing.

And now for the continuation…

** **

Zoe's eyes swam with tears as she searched for the small window Rose met Raffalo at. They weren't tears of "culture shock" per say. After all, she'd expected this. In fact, she'd been having fun getting spit on and stuff. But seeing Cassandra had set something off. The fact was she'd taken a page from the Doctor's book without knowing it, and stuffed any pain down and laughed to cover the hole.

Unfortunately, she didn't have as much practice at it as the 900-year old Time Lord. Truth was, it had been a very long and emotion-filled day, and she was a stupid ape that got overwhelmed.

She chided herself silently and wiped rogue tears that had escaped from her eyes. Where was Raffalo? She wanted to warn her and keep her from getting killed by metal spiders.

Speaking of which, she'd left theirs with the Doctor. Hopefully he wouldn't get into any trouble with it.

Oh, who was she kidding? He was trouble squared.

She sighed and leant her forehead against the window, forcing her mind to think about rainbows and puppies and ice cream and other feel-good things.

Quick steps interrupted that train of thought. She eagerly turned, looking forward to meeting Raffalo, but was disappointed to see one of the other workers approaching instead.

Wordlessly he handed her a card. She squinted, trying to read the strange print.

_The Face of Boe requests your presence in his private quarters immediately._

Jack- the Face of Boe- wanted to see her? Well, this was unexpected to say the least. But she trusted Jack, even if she'd yet to actually meet him. It only occurred to her this Jack was different as she was following the little, blue man in his shiny, black helmet, and by then it was too late. She'd already arrived.

Zoe stepped into an expansive and frankly impressive room, outfitted like a futuristic lounge. It had several very plush looking couches in it, which was rather humorous considering its sole occupant lived in a glass jar that rolled and didn't have a butt to sit on.

_Welcome Zoey. Long time, no see._

A deep voice echoed in her mind and she knew it came from the big head in the middle of the room. She swallowed and stepped closer to it nervously.

"J-Jack?"

She got the impression of a nod in her head and a throaty chuckle.

_Yes, it's me. Though it's been a while anyone's called me that._

Zoe struggled to think of something to say.

"I thought you'd be in the observation room."

Another chuckle.

_I was, but one can only take so much of the Moxx of Balhoon's annoying voice talking about the Bad Wolf scenario. And yes, I know all about Bad Wolf. It's the reason you're here, in this universe._

Her eyes widened. How did he know that about her?

He seemed to know what she was thinking.

_There is a time in my past and your future where you tell me everything about my role in the show. You don't tell me about my future in Torchwood, however. Remember that._

Zoe nodded slowly. She stepped even closer to him and laid a hand on the glass. Something akin to a smile seemed to appear on his wrinkled face and she gave one back.

"Is that why you called me here? To tell me to tell you?"

_That and to do you a favour._

She blinked, waiting for him to continue.

_I hope you know I have no hot water and won't for the rest of my stay here, all because I'll never tell anyone about it._

Zoe grinned as realization dawned on her. "Raffalo won't be sent to fix it! She won't die!"

The Face bobbed slowly up and down in his version of a nod.

_The things I do for you…_

She snorted. "Like you need hot water in your tank!"

_I'll have you know this is actually a Roving Habitat Encasement Device mark III. I developed it myself._

His tone was unmistakably teasing, even in her head. They laughed together briefly and Zoe felt her spirits lift.

"I'm glad after all these years you're still… you. That after what I've done to you-"

_Stop Zoey. I could never be mad at you, for anything. I know you had to do it and I forgave you long ago._

She felt tears spring up again in heartfelt relief.

"Thank you," she whispered.

A hug seemed to swallow her up and she knew it was him somehow.

_You look beautiful, Zoey._

She couldn't help it and burst into laughter.

"Still hitting on me, Jack?" she teased.

_Something's will never change. Now go. The Doctor is looking for you. There is more for you to do here._

Zoe smiled and kissed the glass wall.

"Thank you, Jack. I needed this."

_I know._

"Do I tell you that?"

_No- I just know you, _he said with a telepathic laugh.

She nodded and smiled bittersweet-ly and left the room.

** **

After peeking through a few doors Zoe found another observation room and sat down to wait for the Doctor to find her.

"My name is Rosemary, though everyone calls me Zoe. Rosemary's an herb, another plant," she said to the potted twig still in her hand.

"I wonder if you're gonna grow into a talking tree like Jabe or just be a regular one. Either way, I heard talking to plants helps them grow." She sighed. "Still feel weird talking to you though."

She gave a little humph of a laugh and quoted Rose in a high voice for some reason. "I'm talking to a twig!"

"Zoe? Are you in there?" came the Doctor's voice. She sat up straighter and put the twig to the side as he came in and flopped down on the steps across from her.

"There you are. What'd you think then?" He was grinning at her eagerly, so clearly hoping she liked it.

Zoe opened and closed her mouth, not meeting his eyes at first. What could she say? Then it came to her.

"Impressive."

His grin grew wider and she grinned back. "Although, shouldn't they be playing _It's The End Of The World As We Know It And I Feel Fine_ by R.E.M.?"

It was a joke and he laughed, but she didn't join in for some reason- only watched him.

"What?" he asked at her strange expression.

"Just… your laugh."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong with it?"

"No! No, but… you should do it more often. Laugh. Smile like you mean it."

Zoe didn't have the first clue as to why she said that, but it was right. Her eyes flicked over his face, reading the tension and burdens of this Doctor like a book. Everything was a mask for him, hiding the burned man behind it, still burning even now. She itched to go over to him and take it all away, but knew she couldn't, not yet and not ever all of it.

She was the first one to break eye contact, unable to hold the daring ice-blue gaze of a Time Lord.

"Sorry about running out like that."

"Nah, it's nothin'."

"But it is," Zoe persisted. "Cause I knew all that stuff was gonna happen, but I still let it get to me. I should be better than that." She sighed. "I'm disappointed in myself."

"Well, don't be!" The Doctor's tone was incredulous, no-nonsense. "You gave out candy. Candy! 900 years of phone box travel and I've never had a companion hand out candy before! Thought I'd seen everything, me."

Zoe blushed a bit. She knew arguing with him about it would be pointless, so she changed the subject.

"What about you, Mr. Jelly Baby?"

It was meant to tease but she could have sworn a shadow passed behind his eyes before he replied.

"That was me! See, I'm always impressive like that, but I've never had a **companion** think Starburst® would be appropriate when the sun expands."

"Are you saying **I'm** impressive too?" Zoe grinned.

He tried to pull off a haughty look and failed.

"Hardly. **No one's** impressive when I'm in the room."

"Ooh, arrogance as well. Quite the package you are!"

He raised an eyebrow, still lounging on the floor.

"It's not arrogance if it's the truth."

She stared at him with her jaw open in shock.

"That is** so** not true! Never heard anything as ridiculous!"

"Is too true!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Ha! Gotcha!" the Doctor crowed.

Zoe groaned at falling for the old trick. "Fine! You win- **this **time. Just remember, pride comes before a fall." She pointed at him in mock warning. He scoffed and got up, moving over to the window with his hands in his pockets. She joined him and they grinned at each other like two awkward teenagers.

Well, technically she **was** one…

Then the whole station shook and excitement took over as the Doctor looked at her with a gleam in his eye.

"That's not supposed to happen."

** **

The Doctor started scanning the wall panel as soon as they were back in the main observation room, talking about gravity pockets.

"What do you think, Jabe?"

Zoe turned to face the tree who'd approached them.

"Listen to the engines- they've picked up about 30 hertz. That dodgy or what?"

Zoe felt a little disgruntled that he hadn't even asked her opinion- never mind she didn't know what hertz had to do with anything- but shoved it aside and watched the tree shrug and say she didn't understand the sound of metal.

"Where's the engine room?"

"I don't know. But the maintenance duct is just behind our guest suite. I could show you… and your wife." The lilt on the last word made it clear it was a question.

The Doctor, nonplussed at her remark simply glanced at Zoe before denying it casually.

"Partner?"

"Nope."

"Concubine?"

"Nope!"

The Doctor was acting a little too happy for his own safety, Zoe pondered with narrow eyes.

"Prostitute?"

She raised her eyebrows and found it very easy to act like Rose here.

"Whatever I am it must be invisible! Do you mind?"

The tree just blinked at her. She looked at the Doctor and the twinkle in his eyes made it clear he found this very amusing.

_Why wouldn't he? _Zoe thought. _I did, and millions of others when they watched this scene._

"Tell you what," she said, breaking the silence. "You two go pollinate, while I catch up with the family. Quick word with Michael Jackson."

She headed towards Cassandra, turning back when he said "Don't start a fight!" to stick her tongue out. She watched with a bad feeling as he offered his arm to Jabe and said in a flirtatious voice "I'm all yours."

To cover the awkward feeling she called after him. "And I want you home by midnight!"

He shot her a brief glance, too quick to read his expression, and then the door closed, leaving her feeling very ill indeed.

_S'not fair,_ she grumbled internally. _He's supposed to love me!_

Her green eyes opened wide and she gasped quietly to herself.

_No! No, he's supposed to fall in love with Rose, and I'm not Rose. Nope, definitely not Rose. 100% Zoe Taylor right here. Not Rose. Not ever. Never, never, never. Because that would get messy and lead to heartbreak and separation. Although… if I knew Canary Wharf was gonna happen, I could make sure I don't fall… it's not like there's a Pete to catch me anyways… No! Stop! No loving the Doctor! Bad girl! Very bad!_

She swallowed nervously and nearly ran over to Cassandra.

_Distraction, distraction, distraction..._

** **

Talking to Cassandra provided an ample distraction until she had to walk away in disgust. She still didn't think the Doctor should just stand by and let her die, but she wasn't feeling sorry for the "b***** trampoline" either. "Lipstick and skin," was what Rose had called her, and Zoe had felt compelled to repeat the sentiment.

However, unlike Rose she wasn't in the mood for being knocked out. Besides, it would be very hard to enact her brilliant plan from a locked room. So instead of stalking off she just sulked in a corner and responded politely to the Moxx of Balhoon when he thanked her for her "gift in peace" and slyly asked for another.

Zoe handed him some more Starburst® with a sigh and let her mind drift. About now Jabe would be comforting the Doctor in the maintenance duct, bringing tears to his eyes. She couldn't help feeling it was her that should be doing that. She should be the one he went to.

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. This wasn't helping at all. When was the action going to start? She didn't have to think when she was running. That was probably why the Doctor loved trouble. You didn't have time to muddle over emotions and "domestics" when your life was on the line.

The Face of Boe drifted- or rolled- over to her and she managed a weak but genuine smile.

"Hi, Jack."

_I recognize that look- you're thinking about what the Doctor is doing right now._

"Can you blame me, the trouble he gets up to?"

_Not a bit. Interesting…_

He let the sentence drift off unfinished and she frowned at him. "What?"

_This is only your second adventure with him and you're already jealous._

"Hey!" Zoe squeaked. "No reading other people's minds!" She proceeded to blush when she realized she'd essentially just admitted it.

_Oh, I don't have to. I saw it in you when we first met, and similar expressions from the Doctor._

A hum of amusement accompanied his words and she looked at her feet. Nervously, she fisted her dress in her hands and rubbed it back and forth over her thumb.

"Jack…" Her voice was scratchy and she cleared her throat. "Am I… in the future, do me and the Doctor… how much like Rose am I?"

For a moment the face didn't answer and Zoe wondered if he wouldn't say. She pleaded with her eyes, begging him to help her out. Finally, he did.

_Last I heard, you were both very much in love._

Her breath caught in her throat and she shut her eyes, pretending tears weren't building.

"But… why? Why would I let that happen?"

_No regrets._

Zoe opened her eyes then, and turned to him in shock.

_It's your motto, Zoey. You taught it to me- and even the Doctor. You knew fighting yourself was pointless and caused more trouble than it was worth. You were a lot smarter than either of us._

The blonde swallowed as memories came back. Her mum, her lovely and wonderful mum, had told her to live without regrets, because nothing was worse than dying with them. Those words had been her mum's last gift, and the best one as well. Zoe'd made it her motto and it was the only reason she could deal with never seeing her father again- there were no regrets between them, nothing left unsaid or undone.

She allowed two tears to fall before taking a deep breath to steady herself.

"Thank you Jack," she whispered. "What would I do without you?"

_Die, probably,_ came the blunt reply.

** **


	8. And I Feel Fine

New chappie up! *cheers loudly* I know what you're all saying- FINALLY!!!!! And I'm sorry it's late. Hopefully it's good enough to make the wait worthwhile

Anyways, this is the final part of my rewrite of **The End of the World**. I will write a one-shot with flashbacks for my rewrite of **The Unquiet Dead**, not a full rewrite (sorry!)

I got so many reviews for the last chapter I wanted to thank them all at once here instead of sending a PM to each one. It's gonna be really long, sorry! But the actual CHAPTER is long too, so it evens out XD. Here we go!

**:** I did send a PM to you, I think, telling you the episodes that explain the Jack/Face of Boe plot. If not, tell me :) Big thanks for the first chapter 7 review!

**pheobep3:** I'm updating now! XD

**rara saryn:** Yay! A new reviewer! I will keep going, because of people like you! Thanks!

**Bad Wolf Jr:** OMW!!!!!! Another new reviewer!!! Uber awesome and gracias XD I'm really glad you liked the last bit! It's always fantastic to hear what people did and didn't like :) Very glad you don't think Zoe is a Mary Sue as well! Phew! Relief!

**StarofClamity:** Well, I didn't really update soon, but I hope you don't hate me! You've been a faithful reviewer and I mucho appreciate it!

**WeepingAngerl123:** Good grief woman! (or man) Your comments are WILD! Your comment made my day because what you said you liked is the stuff I really try to accomplish! To know people can see that is a writers dream! As I'm sure you know- you write awesomely XD

**TARDISgirl192:** Cheers to faithful reviewers! Love them and love you my darling! Glad you liked it. I plan on Zoe getting more and more frustrated as she finds herself falling for the Doc ;)

**shay silverdawn:** Maybe seven IS a lucky number: you are the THIRD new reviewer I got on chapter seven! Wowzer and awesomeness! Thanks for doing your thing!

**SciFiGeek14:** :O I didn't even think about the barrage balloon! I was just thinking in general when I had Jack say that! Coolness! Mucho Gracias for the review!

**cat2772:** OMW! So sorry you didn't get the conversation! Please tell me what you didn't get and I'll clear it up for you! See, everything makes sense in my warped and twisted brain, but I forget healthy brains don't think like me XP Also, so glad you don't mind my OC and the Doc falling in love instead of him and Rose. That was my biggest hang-up and fear!

**DoctorBadWolf89:** You don't have to wait any longer to see what happens! Cheers to you for reviewing!

**ROGMethos:** I'm so so sorry! I hate to repay your faithfulness in reviewing with bad news, but like I said above, I'm fully rewriting the next episode! I will have flashbacks to certain scenes though! Does that help?

** **

"The planets end! Come gather, come gather! Bid farewell to the cradle of civilization! Let us mourn her with a traditional ballad!"

Zoe rolled her eyes at Cassandra's melodramatics and smirked as _Toxic_ began to play. Her eyes proceeded to bug out when she heard Jack sing along in her head.

Soon, tears were streaming from trying to hold in her laughter at the giant face's purposely off-key singing.

"Stop it Jack! I can't breathe!"

She stuffed her fist in her mouth to stifle a squeal as he hit a high note.

_Oh yes,_ she thought, holding her aching side, _this is what's worth living for._

** **

The Doctor strode away from the remains of the steward with Jabe; there was nothing else he could do here. At least no one else was stuck in a room without a sun filter, thank the Other.

"Where are we going?" the sentient tree by his side said.

"To the rest of the guests. One of them is responsible and I intend to find out who."

He didn't look at her as he spoke, detaching himself in preparation for whatever was coming. No doubt it would be unpleasant, like most of his life.

In the back of his (genius) brain, he was going over the situation at light-speed. Foremost, however, was his worry over Zoe. He had a very bad feeling she was going to be one of his more jeopardy friendly companions, and it was making him nervous. Despite her self-deprecating, he could tell she was entirely capable of doing something he might do, which was not a good thing.

No, that was an understatement.

It was a **horrible** thing.

The Doctor shut out the guilt of past actions as he picked up speed, forcing Jabe into a run to keep up with him.

** **

Music was still coming from the 'i-pod' when he entered, but he ignored it, all his focus on Zoe. When he saw her talking to the Face of Boe, a weight on his chest he hadn't even realized he had was lifted. She was safe.

Apparently Zoe was as glad to see him, because as she turned and met his gaze a grin blossomed over her face and she rushed over, engulfing him in a hug.

The Doctor grinned back, one hand at the back of her head as she tucked her face into him and sighed. He chuckled when she finally stepped back.

"Miss me?"

She blushed and swiped at him half-heartedly. "Stuff it!"

He spared another moment to smile at her before turning back to the matter at hand. The music was off now and Jabe had gotten their attention, telling the rest of the guests about the Steward's death. Lady Cassandra was accusing the Face of Boe, exclaiming: "Talk to the face! Talk to the face!"

He rolled his eyes and plucked the spider from Jabe's bark-y hand.

"Easier way of findin' out- somebody brought their little pet on board. Let's send him back to Master."

** **

Zoey watched as the spider scuttled off, heading at first for Cassandra. She glanced at the Doctor as he looked at the piece of skin, and could see the wheels of his mind turning, coming to a conclusion in under a second- and the correct one at that. Then the spider moved on, stopping in front of the black-robed figures.

"The Adherence of the Repeated Meme! Jacques!"

"That's all very well, and really kind of obvious," the Doctor said, strolling towards them like it was a day in the park, "but if you stop and think about it"- he grabbed a Meme's arm as it launched at him and effortlessly pulled it off- "a Repeated Meme is just an idea. And that's all they are; an idea."

With a quick tug of a wire, five empty black cloaks fell to the ground and the Time Lord tossed the arm onto one of them.

"Remote control droids. Nice little cover for the real trouble-maker. Go on Jimbo! Go home!" His boot-clad foot poked at the reluctant spider, urging it on. It stopped in front of Cassandra, and this time, stayed there. The multiple guests collectively gasped and started murmuring.

"I bet you were the school swot and never got kissed," Cassandra sneered at the Doctor. "At arms!"

The Doctor stepped in front of Zoe protectively. The effect of the manly gesture was lessened, however, by him putting his hands on his chest in a (frankly) gay way. Oh, well.

Zoey watched and listened as Cassandra explained her plan like all the villains do. She shared the disgust of the Doctor as the reason became clear.

"Five billion years and it still comes down to money."

"Do you think it's cheap, looking like this? Flatness costs a fortune. I am the last human, Doctor. **Me**- not that freaky little kid of yours."

It was a good thing the Moxx of Balhoon spoke then, or else Zoey would have done something regrettable.

"Oh, shut it, pixie! I've still got my final option."

_Earth death in three minutes. Earth death in three minutes._

Everyone in the room looked up at the ceiling as the soft and calm voice pronounced their doom.

"And here it comes! You're just as useful dead, all of you. I have shares in your rival companies. They'll triple in price as soon as your dead!" Cassandra said smugly. "My spiders are primed and ready to destroy the safety systems. How did that old Earth song go? **Burn**, baby, **burn**."

"Then you'll burn with us!" Jabe spat. The Doctor looked at her concernedly before turning back to Cassandra, his expression cool and calculating.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I know the use of teleportation is strictly forbidden, but… I'm such a naughty thing!"

The murmurs around the room grew louder and Zoey's clenched fists shook with anger.

"Spiders: activate!" Cassandra ordered, and explosions rocked the station.

"Forcefields gone, with the planet about to explode. At least it'll be quick. Just like my fifth husband."

The skin-trampoline snickered, and Zoe wondered just how many people's death over the years she was responsible for.

"Shame on me. Ba-bye, darlings," she trilled sweetly. "Bye-bye." And then she was gone.

And now it was time.

** **

The heat was growing quickly, melting any energy to worry away. Zoe didn't know how the Doctor had any strength to remark about where the manual reset was as they stood on the fan room's platform, but somehow he did, and she drew on her last reserves as well in preparation.

She saw him pull the handle to slow the fans down. She saw it snap back up once he let go. And she saw Jabe looking at it.

Zoe ignored her pounding heart and the lump in her throat. This was the part she dreaded, feared. There was no way to tell how it would end up, but she **had** to try, **had** to do this.

She put her hand on the trees arm and shook her head slowly, taking a hold of the handle herself and heaving it down with all her might.

The accompanying sound and her grunt of exertion drew the Doctor's attention, and his eyes widened.

"You can't! The heat's gonna vent through this place."

Zoe swallowed at the look in his ice blue eyes and inhaled, the heat suffocating her. She nodded.

"I know."

"You're gonna burn!" he insisted, panic twisting his face.

"Then stop wasting time," she paused, "Time Lord."

Maybe it was his mastery over time, or maybe it was just an illusion, but the moment seemed to freeze as the Doctor and Zoe locked eyes. A fierce desperation saturated them and with a blink a decision was made.

"C'mon."

And the Doctor led Jabe through the fans.

She watched them detachedly as the atmosphere seemed to thicken with heat. Her hands began to stick to the metal handle and she knew if she pulled away the skin would be left behind.

It hurt- oh, did it ever hurt- but she couldn't seem to care. All that mattered was the Doctor and Jabe, who'd now paused to look back at her.

_Keep the handle down, keep the handle down_, ran through her head like a mantra.

The Doctor and the tree moved on, and the pain got worse.

She was burning. Not on fire, like Jabe had been, but she could **feel** the heat like a physical force as it blistered her skin, evaporating any sweat on it and leaching her life away. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt and nothing she'd want to feel again.

Zoe figured she would never feel anything again anyways.

An anguished scream came unbidden to her lips as a wave of hundreds of Fahrenheit's consumed her, body, mind, and soul. All she knew as the pain faded to black was her name being yelled by a wonderful man in leather.

** **

To be concluded…

** **

…Psych!

** **

Time had been his enemy before, thought the Doctor, but it didn't make it any easier. Even with the shields raised and the fans slowed down enough to pass through, he couldn't wait any longer to go to Zoe. He moved through time without being aware of it, stopping only at the corpses side.

Corpse? Could she really be dead?

Shaky fingers touched the body and he nearly gasped with relief at the stirrings of life within it. Her form was still frozen (how ironic that term was) in position, holding down the handle simply by her weight on it. Swallowing his concern, he gingerly removed her hands from the switch, wincing and biting back a cry as he had to peel them away.

"I'm so sorry."

He turned to look at Jabe who'd appeared beside him.

"She's not dead," he hoarsely whispered. He repeated himself more steadily.

"She's not dead. Not yet. If I can just get her back to the TARDIS…"

The Doctor stood with renewed vigor and gently scooped Zoe into his arms. He turned to the tree, hope glistening in his eyes.

"I can save her!"

** **

He burst into his ship and raced down the hall to the infirmary, not caring if Jabe came inside as well. He didn't care about anything but Zoe at this moment.

Skidding into a sharp turn he murmured thanks to the TARDIS when he saw the infirmary door wide open.

Quickly divesting Zoe of her singed clothes, not even aware of his actions, the Doctor lived up to his title.

He slipped her into a medical robe than placed her on a gurney and wheeled it into the stasis pod. He inwardly groaned at the readout on the screen as it assessed her total injuries: severe burns, especially on the right side of her body, resulting in massive skin loss and dehydration, to only name a few. All her organs were being put under stress, many of them already failing.

A slight movement alerted him to her return to consciousness and he immediately ordered a sedative to keep her unconscious. The only thing worse than seeing her body limp and destroyed would be seeing her screaming and writhing in agony at the pain from her injuries.

"Will she be alright?"

His head turned sharply. He'd forgotten about Jabe. It appeared she'd found her way here.

"Yes. The stasis pod will keep her relatively stable until I can do more."

"Why wait? What are you going to do now?"

The Doctor straightened to his full height and looked down at Jabe. His features were stoic and unmoving, but his eyes were raging and dark with danger, barely containing a storm in their ice-blue depths.

After a moment of that look he simply left, the silence his only answer.

It was enough to chill the tree to her core.

** **

Zoe drifted back to reality softly. It annoyed her to no end that reality consisted of bright lights and beeping and a slight sting in her arm.

She scowled and managed to peel her eyelids back to look around, immediately flinching as the light burned her retinas. A shadow lessened the intensity and she cautiously tried opening them again.

The Doctor's emotionless face greeted her. She smiled blearily.

"Hello."

His mask shattered and he grinned, joy and concern and the ever present guilt warring for prominence in his face.

"Hello," he whispered in reply.

Zoe's smile widened and she shifted.

"Can I sit up?"

The Doctor mutely nodded and grabbed a pillow out of her range of vision, easing it behind her. His hand on her skin as he supported her stung and before she could control it she let out a small cry.

"What is it? Where does it hurt?" Panic immediately took over the Time Lord. Zoe smiled wryly at it and shook her head.

"Nothing. It just stung a little when you touched me. Not life endangering, that."

As soon as the words left her lips another mask appeared on the Doctor's face, shutting off any feelings from leaking through.

"Oh. That would be because your skin is brand new. Gonna be extra sensitive for a while."

He turned and was about to walk away when Zoe's hand involuntarily snaked out and grabbed his wrist.

"Don't go."

He blinked in surprise. "I wasn't leaving."

"No, I mean stay right **here**."

His shoulders slumped fractionally in unspoken acquiescence and he grabbed a nearby stool to sit on, taking the hand on his wrist in to both of his, softly rubbing the skin on the back of her hand. He stopped when he reached a small needle inserted in her that lead to an IV nearby. Gently and deftly he removed it, placing his thumb firmly over the miniscule drop of blood at the entrance point. The Doctor stayed that way, staring at it silently while Zoe studied him in turn.

"So, you gonna tell me why my skin is brand new?"

He looked up at her then, mask still in place. "The old skin was burned off."

Her face fell at the gravelly tone and she considered his words. Her skin had already grown back?

"How long was I out?" she inquired.

"A few hours."

She made and 'o' with her mouth in surprise. "And I'm already better?"

The Doctor stiffened and didn't meet her eyes. "Yeah."

"Wow. You are impressive."

Her attempt at lightness went over badly as the Time Lord suddenly dropped her hand and left his stool striding to one end of the room then back, stopping at the foot of her bed.

"Don't. Just don't, Zoe. You almost died."

She recoiled at the ferocity rolling off of him in waves before gathering her senses and gingerly leaving her bed. He didn't move as she approached him until only a foot of distance was left.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have joked around. But I'm not dead." Zoe placed a hand on his cheek tentatively. "See?"

His eyes flickered close and he released his white-knuckled grip on the bars of the infirmary bed. "Zoe," he sighed, and when he looked at her his weariness was obvious.

She swallowed nervously and stroked his cheek softly before letting her hand fall and link with his.

"I'm better. **You** made me better after I was a stupid ape and got myself hurt. You did nothing wrong today."

His gaze sharpened, but at least the weariness had dissipated.

"Don't ever do that again." With his free hand he waved a finger in her face. She grinned, tongue peeking out.

"If it saves someone else, just you try and stop me."

A smile played at his lips but his eyes were dead serious. "I will. I will try to stop you, even if it means knocking you out and tying you up and locking you in the TARDIS."

She looked at him fondly, ignoring the shivers the statement created in her.

"I had to do it. Jabe would have died."

"You could have too."

"When a tree burns it's just ash. You can't fix **ash**, Doctor, but you could fix me."

His grip on her hand tightened. "I nearly didn't."

For the first time since meeting him, Zoe saw a flicker of fear in his eyes.

"You burned."

It was then that it clicked for her.

_Gallifrey. Gallifrey burned. The Time Lords burned._

_I burned._

Tears pricked her eyes and she wrapped him in a hug, as much for her own benefit as his, soaking in comfort.

A cool draft brushed her backside and she realized she was in only a paper-y gown. She frowned.

"Doctor… where are my clothes?"


	9. An Unquiet Mind

Ta-da! New update! This is my AU of **The Unquiet Dead**. Hope you like it. The actual episode is only referenced in flash-backs, which are in italics.

Because this episode is redone in only one chapter, it's pretty long- about 2900 words without this A/N. So enjoy! Next up is **Aliens of London**! Now for my reviewers:

**StarofCalamity:** Yay! You don't hate me! Cheers for that XP

**rara saryn: **Thank you very much :) *gives banana*

**SciFiGeek14:** I feel bad about not writing that final scene, but I wouldn't have changed it much, so I didn't think it was super necessary. I'm glad you thought it turned out alright though!

**SerenityMoolight:** New reviewer! Yay! So glad you liked it! Just getting giggles at three a.m. is amazing in my book!

**Bad Wolf Jr:** LOL! Tell me about friends corrupting you! Don't I know it XP Glad you liked Zoe's part in this. I was meticulously studying this episode for the rewrite and I realized Rose was kind of useless- still awesome, but I couldn't see Zoe just letting things happen like that. She would jump in headfirst. Thanks for the review!

**:** Awesome review! So glad you think I had 9 in character! And yes, Zoe and Doc's relationship will get further. After all, Zoe knows better than to waste time. It's just a matter of her actually falling in love with him. She isn't head over heels quite yet.

**WeepingAngel123:** Yay! Crazy lady is back! With an awesomenastic review as well XD You're so nice, and everything you liked was what I was striving for, so uber big thanks!

**TARDISgirl192:** Thank you super heaps! R.E.M. is fantastic, aren't they ;D

**ROGMethos: **Gracias Amigo! You don't have to wait anymore! Ta!

**Wandering Hitokiri:** What is this? Another new reviewer? :O And he/she/it is impressed! *tears of joy cascade down face* Thank you!

**Lindsey:** Whoot! Another new reviewer! Thanks friend XD

**SpaceHead3:** Aww! So nice and lovely! Very appreciative of your taking time!

Now for the actual fic!

** **

Neither of them spoke as they entered the vortex. Zoe kept staring at the screen which a moment ago had showed Charles Dickens outside in the snow. She blinked reflexively when her eyes started to dry and it shook her out of her thoughts.

She could feel the Doctor's eyes on her, measuring her mood, considering what the next step should be. When he did speak, she couldn't take it.

"Zoe-"

"I'm going to change, okay?" Without waiting for an answer she strode out of the room, leaving it in a much darker mood than when they'd landed.

** **

_They rolled on the floor at the landing, almost on top of each other, laughing manically. It didn't escape Zoe's notice that the Doctor's attention was solely on her reaction._

"_Blimey!"_

"_You're telling me," he chuckled, getting up and going to the monitor. "You alright?"_

"_Yeah. Think so- nothing broken!" she replied, joining him. Her skin was actually stinging, still new from getting burned on Platform One, but it wouldn't do for him to know that. "Where are we?"_

"_I did it! Give the man a medal!" he crowed. "Earth, Naples, December 24__th__, 1860!" Zoe didn't have the heart to tell him he'd gotten it wrong- again. He'd find out soon enough anyways._

"_It's so weird. It's Christmas, 1860. It happens once, just once, and then it's gone, finished, never happen again."_

_The Doctor looked away from her, smile in place but missing something. The levity in the room was long since gone._

_Zoe's eyes sparkled as she continued. "Except for you. You can go back and see days that are dead and gone, a hundred thousand sunsets ago. No wonder you never stay still."_

_The Time Lord's face softened. "Not a bad life," he said, but it sounded more like a question. They'd never gone back to London, -just drifted in the Vortex for a day while she rested- never got chips, and he'd never asked if she still wanted to come with him. She supposed this was his way of asking, the plead for an affirmative obvious in his eyes._

_A small and cheeky grin spread over her face, tongue poking through. "Better with two."_

_The look on his face was worth his weight in gold. She basked in it for a moment before rushing to the doors._

"_Oi! Where d'you think you're going?"_

"_1860!"_

"_Go out there, dressed like that, you'll start a riot, Barbarella!"_

"_What's so bad about that, then?" she teased._

"_Well, I'm not getting you out of trouble! Get enough of that already!"_

_She threw her head back and laughed. He was grinning as well._

"_There's a wardrobe through there. First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs-"_

"_Past the bins, fifth door on your left- I know," Zoe finished for him with a wink._

"_Hurry up then!" he grumbled, once again annoyed at her for stealing his momentum. She grinned and skipped off, leaving him smiling bemusedly after her._

** **

Zoe found her way to the wardrobe by instinct and entered the vast room, hardly looking around, so unlike the first time.

** **

_The little bit she'd gotten to see of the wardrobe in__** The Christmas Invasion**__ was nothing compared to this. The spiral staircase at the end went both up and down for ages, countless levels branching off of it. She took a moment just to take it in._

_She grinned wider than she thought possible. "Oh, I'm definitely coming back here."_

_Interestingly enough, the only clothes on this level were dresses from the time period they were in. Probably the TARDIS moved things around to make it easier._

_Zoe looked at a wall. "Thanks, girl." She winked. "I suspect you picked out dresses from the __**real**__ year we're in, yeah?"_

_A low hum reached her ears and she clapped her hands giddily, jumping in anticipation before diving into the racks of gorgeous period gowns._

** **

Zoe kept her eyes on the floor as she undressed, thoughts racing through her head. So much had happened in such a short amount of time. She'd lost control of events and had panicked. A solitary tear winded its way down her face, and she finally looked up into the mirror.

** **

_She looked in the mirror and exhaled, the abominable corset forcing her body into an unnatural but very attractive figure. Over all she thought she made a pretty good picture._

_Instead of the red and black number Rose had worn, she had chosen a gown similar to the one Miss Hartigan had worn in __**The Next Doctor**__. However, it was midnight blue, had little puffy sleeves and a shorter overskirt of the same fabric trimmed with black lace._

_She added long white gloves and a black hooded cloak to the ensemble. A small blue flower arrangement adorned her upswept, strawberry blonde hair, a matching corsage pinned at the dip of the v-neck._

_Zoe sighed and hoped all the trouble was worth it. Maybe they could try for Naples again after this, go to a ball or something, use the gown like it was meant to. Maybe they could dance._

** **

A pale and solemn girl stared back at Zoe in the gilded mirror. The TARDIS hummed in comfort, but it didn't seem to warm the chilled human like was meant.

She heaved a sigh and slowly, wearily put her own clothes back on: bra, sweater, and lounge pants. No shoes- they were still messy from being worn outside, under the gown.

** **

"_Oi!"_

_Zoe turned and saw the Doctor staring at marks in the snow._

"_What?"_

"_You didn't change shoes!"_

_She looked at the sneaker prints leading back to the TARDIS, peeking one foot out of the cumbersome skirt to examine her pink and black sport shoes carefully._

"_Well," Zoe grinned mischievously, "I can't run in those impractical period boots, now, can I?"_

** **

No one had noticed anyways. Not even the great Charles Dickens. Of course, with Gelth flying about, people were looking up, not down.

Zoe bent down and picked up the gown, carefully putting in back on the racks. Her hand paused at the small tear on the bodice. She must have gotten it when Gwyneth and Mr. Sneed stuffed her into the back of the hearse. She hadn't even noticed it till now. It had been non-stop action since waking up in the parlour.

** **

_Her head ached. That was all she could think of for a moment, before the reason clicked in her brain and she sat up sharply with a gasp._

"_Owwww," she moaned, palm pressed to forehead. Not a good idea to be so active after being chloroformed._

_After a pause to let her blood flow settle, she turned around, and sure enough, saw a Gelth infested corpse sitting up in a coffin on either side of her._

"_Right," Zoe murmured, standing and cracking all her knuckles in a single, swift motion. "Like the Other I'm playing Damsel-in-Distress."_

_Travelling the world meant she was exposed to some of the more… iffy parts of society. She'd taken some basic classes for self-defense and was disturbingly ecstatic she could use them now. It's not like she'd be hurting them- the bodies were already dead and Gelth were non-corporeal._

_Consequently, when the Doctor decided to finally make an appearance, she was in the middle of flipping the dead man over her shoulder into the old woman, knocking them both to the ground._

"_Hi," she said to him, and blew a piece of hair that had come loose out of her face._

_His utterly shocked look was priceless. "What'd you do?"_

"_What does it look like?"_

"_Like you're beating the life out of the dead."_

"_Only cause you weren't here."_

"_Seems you didn't need me."_

"_Doesn't mean I didn't want you."_

_She had no idea what possessed her to say that. It was startlingly true, but a bit too revealing under the circumstances. Speaking of which…_

"_Hi Charlie!"_

_The bearded author simply looked at her in shock and puzzlement. A groan from the Doctor stopped any more conversation with him._

"_You know about this too, don't you? Can't I figure __**anything**__ out on my own?" he whined to Zoe._

_She stuck her tongue out. "Not stopping you from trying."_

_He rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the two Gelth infested people. "I'm Doctor. Who are you?"_

"_They're the Gelth. They lost their physical bodies in the Time War- or so they say," Zoe shot a look at the dead, "And want out of the rift where they're trapped. They want to use dead bodies as hosts. Unfortunately, they're more than fine with killing to get them."_

_There was a silence after that, punctuated only by breathing and the flickering of the gas lights. Finally the Doctor spoke, looking at her like she'd grown another head._

"_I thought you were gonna let me try?"_

"_Changed my mind."_

"_You changed your mind? Just like that? Women! Ficklest things in the universe!"_

_She swatted him and was about to make a retort when the two bodies dropped to the floor, screaming as the Gelth exited and disappeared into the lamps again._

_Once again there was silence and once again the Doctor broke it._

"_Well," he said clapping his hands and grinning, "let's get down to business!"_

** **

Zoe abruptly fled the wardrobe, suddenly unable to stay still. Unfortunately, right outside was a very solid chest belonging to one Time Lord.

Avoiding his eyes, she shivered against him, tension rippling through her muscles. He had a grip on her arm where it had come up in surprise and rested against his torso. His other hand was on her shoulder.

"Zoe…" he sighed, sounding lost for anymore words. She looked up at him finally, ashamed of the tears swimming in her eyes, but unable to stop them building.

"Come on." Without comment she followed him as he led her to the kitchen.

She sat quietly, tracing random patterns on the table top in front of her, eyes glued to the spot but not seeing it at all. The Doctor was making tea to the side and had it ready in a minute thanks to the alien TARDIS equipment. He placed it in front of her before sliding into a seat across with his own cuppa.

** **

"_Please, miss, you shouldn't be helping! It's not right!" Gwyneth exclaimed as Zoe began to dry some dishes._

"_Don't be daft!" she said, but reluctantly handed the towel to Gwyneth when the Welshwoman insisted._

_Zoe recited the memorized dialogue, pretending to be surprised at Gwyneth's wages, asking her about school and laughing with her when admitting she'd skipped school once as well. The whole time she was encouraging the maid to ask the butcher's boy out, she reveled in the fact that she would be able to give the girl the chance to. She would save Gwyneth. And she wasn't at all insulted when the maid told her she spoke like a wild thing._

"_Maybe that's a good thing," Zoe said with a sparkle in her eye. "You need a bit more in your life than Mr. Sneed."_

"_Oh, now that's not fair. He's not so bad, Sneed. He was very kind to me to take me in, cause I lost my Mum and Dad to the flu when I was twelve."_

"_I'm sorry," Zoe genuinely apologized and listened hopefully as Gwyneth spoke of seeing them again in Paradise._

"_Maybe your Mum's waiting for you up there too, Miss."_

"_Maybe," she murmured, wondering if being in a different universe changed what Paradise would be like. "How did you know about her?"_

_Gwyneth faltered and stuttered. "I don't know. Must have been the Doctor."_

_Zoe stared at her back as she went back to drying dishes. "She died years back."_

"_But you've been thinking about her lately," came the soft reply._

"_How do you know all this?" Green eyes met Gwyneth's brown ones, daring her to speak the truth._

"_Oh, Mr. Sneed says I think too much, down here on my own. I bet you've got dozens of servants, Miss."_

"_No, no servants where I come from." Unless you count a sentient time/space ship that gets your clothes ready as one, she added mentally._

"_And you've come such a long way."_

_Zoe looked up at the Welshwoman through her lashes intently, waiting for what was coming next, lips parted in anticipation._

"_You're from London," Gwyneth said, stepping closer. "I have seen London in drawings, but never like that. All those people rushing about, half naked for shame. And the noise, and the metal boxes racing past, and the birds in the sky- no, no they are metal as well. Metal birds with people in them, people are flying. And you, you have flown so far, further than anyone. The things you've seen: the Void. The Big Bad Wolf!"_

_She backed up sharply and Zoe released a breath she hadn't known she was holding._

"_I'm sorry! I'm sorry Miss, I can't help it." The Welshwoman looked terrified and Zoe rushed to reassure her._

"_It's alright, Gwyneth. It'll be fine."_

"_But it won't," the maid whispered sadly. "You can't save everyone, Rosemary Zoe Taylor. That is not your part."_

** **

Tears rushed down Zoe's cheeks and into her tea. She shook with quiet sobs, turning into the Doctor when he sat next to her. His jumper was not itchy like she'd expected, but it proved absorbent as it soaked up her tears.

They sat that way until the Doctor spoke.

"I'm sorry."

Zoe's head shot up. "Why? What for?"

A deep ache was in the Time Lord's eyes. "I couldn't save Gwyneth."

A bitter laugh escaped her lips and she shook her head violently. "No. It was not your fault. Believe me, her death was completely out of your control."

Doubt still played in his gaze and she gripped her chin with one hand.

"Listen to me, Doctor. Listen closely. You did nothing wrong. You were fantastic. It was in no possible way your fault, so don't even think about taking blame, cause I won't allow it!"

She blinked and her face crumpled again. _It was my fault_.

** **

"_Listen to me," Zoe cried out to Gwyneth. The Gelth surround them in the morgue, the inhabited corpses reaching through the iron bars toward her and the Doctor._

"_You don't have to do this! You don't have to die!"_

_But the girl only smiled softly, reassuringly. "But Miss," she said, polite to the last, "I do. The Wolf demands it."_

_Zoe's jaw dropped joining her heart on the floor. "No! No, the Wolf flippin' does __**not**__ demand it!" she shouted._

_Only the Doctor's firm grip on her arm prevented her from running to the maid and shaking sense into her. As it was, one arm was stretched out desperately._

"_Please! Please don't do this Gwyneth!" she screamed. "This isn't supposed to happen! I was gonna save you!" Hot tears streamed down her face, blinding her._

_Zoe continued screaming and pleading as Charles Dickens turned the gas up and sucked the Gelth out. She kicked and cried as the Doctor forcibly dragged her out of the house. And she dropped to her knees in the snow as she watched the house burn, sealing the rift and the Welshwoman's fate._

"_Gwyneth…"_

** **

"Oh, Doctor…" Zoe drew in a ragged death, "I was going to save her. I was going to save her like Jabe. I don't understand why I couldn't."

The Doctor hugged her tighter and sighed into her hair.

"Zoe, I heard what she said. She was right; you can't save everyone."

Zoe sniffed and squeezed her eyes shut in defiance.

"I don't believe that. I don't **want** to believe that! I **have** to save them! It's the only thing I can control! Don't you see? I know what happens to so many people, and I can save them!" She drew back and was shocked to see fear in the Doctor's eyes.

"Zoe," he hissed, grabbing her face in his hands, "don't even go there. Don't even try! You can't take on the responsibility of life and death; it'll drive you mad! I know! I can see every possibility and outcome all the time, but I can't stop them. I can't stop death. The Universe moves forward on the dust of the dead, and that can never change. You'll only hurt yourself trying. Believe me. Please, don't take on that burden."

Zoe gulped at the raw emotions in his ice-blue eyes. The fear, she realized, was for her. He didn't want her to feel the weight of the Universe like he did. He didn't want his life to taint hers.

_Too late,_ she thought, _but I wouldn't have it any other way._

She gave him a watery smile that broke into a grin, and threw her arms around his neck to pull him close in a breath-taking hug.

Without even thinking about it, she echoed what he hadn't had an opportunity to say in the cellar.

"I'm so glad I met you."

He momentarily froze and Zoe wondered if she'd gone too far, but then he relaxed in her grip.

"Me too."

** **


	10. 12 Months

Wow! First off, I want to apologize for not posting in a month! I didn't have good interent access to post, but I thought about you guys everyday! I can't tell you how much I appreciate your reviews and when you fave or story alert this! To make up for the lack of posts, I'm putting up a chapter now and one Monday, and likely one on Thursday as well. You see, I may not have posted, but I **have** been writing ;)

Uber big thanks to **StarofCalamity**, **rara saryn**, **SciFiGeek14**, **SerenityMoolight** , **Bad Wolf Jr**, **WeepingAngel123** , **TARDISgirl192** , **ROGMethos**, **Wandering Hitokiri**, **Lindsey**, **pheobep3, FantasticlyBrilliant, **and **FullWolfMoonGirl** for taking the time to review by amateur work! Loads of love to you all!

** **

The sound of time and space parting filled the dirty alley-way and a blue box appeared from the Vortex. It had a light on top that glowed in time with the sound and stopped when the box finally solidified with a "thunk". A second later a door in the box opened and two figures stepped out.

Zoe spun around in a circle, looking up at the sky she'd seen burning five billion years from now.

"How long have I been gone?"

"'Bout twelve hours," the Doctor replied from his stance leaning against the TARDIS.

Zoe laughed, more because she knew he was way off than anything else.

"Right. I'll just pop up to Shireen and then we can get chips." Getting chips was the excuse she'd used to get the Doctor to bring her back. After all, it wasn't like she needed her stuff; she'd brought it all with her the night she'd left with him, afraid it would all get thrown away if she went missing for a year. She didn't have a Mum to keep it safe for her like Rose.

"What are you gonna tell her?" the Doctor asked curiously. She paused and looked back at him. A mischievous grin grew on her face.

"Oh, I already got that covered."

Zoe turned and began to walk away, then froze and looked back.

"Don't you disappear, you hear me?" She was truly nervous about that. Their relationship wasn't as innocent as the Doctor and Rose's. She'd made more trouble than Rose had, and wasn't sure of her place in his life yet.

To her immense relief he nodded and smiled, just like he had in the episode.

On her way up to Shireen's flat she tried to deal with the knot of nerves in her stomach. There were so many variables floating around this next bit- like unavoidable jellyfish in a lagoon. She was afraid if she kicked out, or changed something else with her actions, she'd get stung, figuratively speaking.

Zoe knocked on the door hesitantly.

"Who is it?"

_Crud_, she thought. What was she supposed to say- "Hi, it's your former best mate. Sorry it's been a year, but hey, why don't I make up for it with a drink at the pub and we can talk about old times?" Not likely.

"Umm… it's me!" she called back. She saw a shadow at the peep-hole and the door flew open.

"It's you," Shireen said dumbly. Zoe smiled nervously and waved.

"Hi. Long time, no see, huh?" She shifted feet awkwardly.

Shireen ran a hand down her face and sighed.

"It's been a year. A year to the day."

The girl's voice was flat, numb, defeated. Zoe's heart broke just a little.

"'M sorry. I know it's been a while."

Shireen exploded. "A while?! A year is a while?! You didn't even call! Nothing! Not even a single bleedin' text! And now you turn up on my doorstep, acting all non- noncha- nonchent-"

"Nonchalant?" Zoe provided.

"Yeah! Nonchalant! Where were you?!"

Zoe frowned. "But I explained it in the letter."

Shireen threw her hands in the air. "What letter?!"

Zoe stared at her. "The one I gave Mickey, for both of you." The look Shireen was giving her made her feel like she'd dribbled or something.

"He never gave me a letter."

A myriad of emotions crossed Zoe's face before settling on something a little scary.

"That boy better **run** and **hide**."

** **

The Doctor ran up the stairs four at a time, his coat (he really liked leather this time round- ok, that sounded wrong) flapping behind him.

"Zoe!"

He had to catch her. If he caught her before anyone recognized her, he could go back and try again. It would only be a small paradox, miniscule really- nothing he and the TARDIS couldn't fix. Then Zoe wouldn't miss a year of her life back home.

_Her home is in the TARDIS, with me_, a part of him said. But that was ridiculous. Like any companion, she'd eventually leave him- likely after whatever she was supposed to accomplish was accomplished. That was probably the only reason she'd come with him in the first place. He could understand that, timelines and all that.

So why did the thought hurt?

It was too late. She was already talking to that girl, the one he'd saved in the shop, her friend. He internally winced. Time for damage control. Ick.

"Zoe," he said, rushing up to her breathlessly. "I got it a bit wrong. It's been 12 months, not 12 hours. Sorry."

She was smirking. Why was she smirking? Unless she…

"'S okay; I was pretty sure this would happen."

Fantastic. And he meant that sarcastically. Well, at least she wouldn't hate him. She'd still come with him. Not that he needed her to; of course not. It would just save him the trouble of finding a new companion, that's all. Not many were good companion material these days.

He was knocked out of his maudlin by the other girl's- Sharon? Shannon?- high-pitched voice.

"You?!" She turned to Zoe. "You were with an alien?! And you **knew** this would happen?!"

"Shireen-"

Shireen, that was right.

"-calm down. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I thought Mickey would give you the letter and you'd understand."

Letter? Was she talking about the paper she'd given the idiot last time? Exactly how much did she plan on telling them?

The girl Shireen chewed her bottom lip in consideration.

"This letter's pretty important, yeah?"

"It explained it all in detail."

Shireen nodded slowly. "Well… why don't you come in and tell me what was in it."

Zoe looked like she was gonna protest but changed her mind and followed Shireen into the flat. He began to edge away and prepare his escape back to the TARDIS, but Zoe shot him a look that made it very clear what would happen to him if he didn't come as well. He decided it would be wisest to obey.

"Don't mind me," Shireen called from the bathroom once inside, "I'm just finishing getting ready for work."

Zoe smiled. "Oh yeah? Where are you working now?"

"Oh, this marvelous little boutique! It's a bit out of my way, but the pay is good enough to make up for it."

"Where's it by?"

"Big Ben."

** **

The Doctor watched bemusedly as Zoe followed Shireen from room to room, bickering as they went. Normally he'd classify this as domestic and hide in the TARDIS, but this time he found it entertaining. So he'd stolen a bag of crisps from the pantry and leaned back against the counter to enjoy the show.

"A year, Zoey! A year of no contact and then you show up with big ears and demand I not go to work!"

Big ears? He felt the appendages with consternation. That was uncalled for.

"**Please** Shireen! If you ever trusted me, don't go to work! Call in sick or something!"

"Forget it Zoey! You can't just waltz back in and pretend we're back to normal! You aren't a part of my life anymore, and you don't get a say in it!"

The Doctor winced, vicariously feeling the jab. Didn't stop him from eating another crisp though.

"Urgh! Please believe me Shireen! I wouldn't ask this if I didn't have a good reason. I'll even pay you what you would have earned today!"

The other girl spun on her heel. "Why?! Give me one good reason to do this!"

The Doctor watched as Zoe fumbled for an answer.

"Because… because I'm from the future and know what happens today."

He raised an eyebrow, hand paused in mid-air with a crisp.

For a moment he saw a flicker of belief in the shop-girl's eyes before she growled in frustration and stalked out of the flat.

Well that went well.

Then Zoe turned to look at him with huge eyes brimming with emotion, begging for help.

Bugger. He'd never been able to resist eyes like that. Even in his grumpy first incarnation. He'd let Susan bring a kitten on board when she gave him those eyes. Thankfully it was gone by the time he'd met Ian and Barbara. He would have had no respect if a kitten was onboard. It was so… domestic.

With a show of a sigh he put down the crisp bag and headed after Shireen. He stopped out on the balcony and adjusted his screwdriver, pointing it at the girl who was already on the ground, walking away.

He turned it on and she paused and began rubbing her temples.

"What'd you do?" Zoe asked at his elbow.

"Concentrated sonic wave. Just enough to give her a nasty migraine, make her think twice about going in today."

"You can do that? What setting?" she asked, interested.

"643-a," he said. "Why?"

"Just curious. No!"

"What?"

"She's still going!"

He looked back down, and sure enough saw the girl pop an aspirin before heading off again.

"Shireen!" Zoe cried, running after her friend.

The Doctor sighed and adjusted the intensity of the setting. He pointed it once more and this time the shop-girl stumbled before fainting dead away. Zoe reached her just in time to catch the unconscious body.

"What did you do to her **now**?"

He rolled his eyes- like he'd harm the human. "Knocked her out. Same effect as a mild concussion without any lasting damage."

"What setting is that?"

"643-c," he said, joining her on the ground and relieving her of Shireen's dead weight.

He frowned. "What's with the interest in the screwdriver?"

"Oh… nothing," Zoe said, sounding far too innocent to be believable. "Nothing at all."

** **

Eyes fixed on the dull and dreary sky, unbroken by alien ships as of yet, Zoe paced up and down on the roof of Shireen's building. Shireen herself was still unconscious, laid out on her sofa in her flat. The Doctor leant against the half-wall like in the episode and watched Zoe fret.

"How much longer is she gonna be out?"

"About a half-hour," he replied.

She returned to chewing the pad of her thumb. He stored that in the file called 'Zoe' in the back of his brain as her nervous habit. The file was quickly growing, stuffed with all the little quirks and habits of hers he learned from watching her, something he found himself doing oftener than he liked. Or maybe he liked it too much.

A bitter laugh from Zoe brought him out of his thoughts.

"What?"

"'S just… I don't know. This is completely mental," she explained, pausing to look out towards the city. "This life is insane, but there's no one to talk to about it; no one that would understand. I thought… I thought that once I met you I wouldn't feel so alone, but I still do."

The Doctor's gut knotted in dread. Was this when she'd decide to leave him? He wasn't ready to lose her yet. He didn't know when he would be, though that time would come eventually.

His face must have betrayed his thoughts, because Zoe quickly reassured him.

"I still like it with you! It's better than staying here. But… I'll always be that little bit isolated because this isn't my home. I don't have a family anymore. There's no one who truly knows who I am or knows what I know, whereas before…" Zoe swallowed before continuing.

"My dad and I were really close, especially after Mum died. I could talk to him about anything at anytime and he'd understand. And now," she drew a shaky breath. "Now I know my future, and your future, and the future of dozens of others, and I can't tell a soul. I can't tell my daddy, and I really, really need to."

She wrapped her arms around herself, and spoke in such a tiny voice the Doctor's hearts broke a little for her.

"How do you do it?" she whispered.

"Do what?" he asked, though he already knew what she meant.

"Handle being the only one in the universe like you. You know things that no one else will ever be able to understand or learn."

The Doctor looked into her green eyes and saw a portion of his pain in them.

_But… I'll always be that little bit isolated because this isn't my home. I don't have a family anymore. There's no one who truly knows who I am or knows what I know, whereas before…_

She'd said how he often felt almost verbatim. It was possible she was the only person in the universe who could comprehend what he'd lost- two people united by their solitude. He hadn't thought he'd ever be happy to be alive again after the Time War, but now he realized he was, because he wouldn't have met her if he had died. This one human girl made surviving worth it.

**She** was what helped him, he realized, and the revelation blew him away.

But before he could share his discovery with Zoe, a spaceship (of course it would be a spaceship) flew over them, close enough to blow her hair into a strawberry blonde storm. He followed the ship with his eyes as it sideswiped Big Ben and splashed into the river.

Zoe slipped her hand into his and he looked down at her. He was glad to see she was smiling, even if her eyes were still a bit watery.

"It's Showtime," she teased.

"Fantastic!"


	11. Those Hated Domestics

Hello again! When I updated on Saturday I said I'd load a new chappie today as well, and here it is! If all goes well I'll post one on Thursday, but I make no promises, because we all know how lame I am at updating.

Thanks to the people who've reviewed the last chapter: **cat2772, Faded Feathers, Bad Wolf Jr, , rara saryn, and SciFiGeek14!** Your kind words keep my world turning ^^

And now for the next chapter!

** **

Zoe and the Doctor raced down into the streets. As she expected, they were crowded and it was impossible to get close.

"It's blocked off!" he complained.

"And we're still miles from the center. It's probably gridlocked. The whole of London must be closing down."

"I know. I can't believe I'm here to see this! This is fantastic!" the Doctor enthusiastically cried.

"I know you didn't know this was gonna happen, but don't you at **least** recognize the ship?"

"Nope!"

"Any idea at **all** on why it crashed?"

"Nope!"

"Oh, I'm so glad I got you," Zoe said with a roll of the eyes.

"I bet you are. This is what I travel for Zoe! To see history happening, right in front of us!"

She couldn't help grinning along with him. It **was** pretty exciting, if you got past the death and destruction.

"Well let's go and see it! Never mind the traffic; we got the TARDIS!"

"Better not," he disagreed. "They already got one spaceship in the middle of London. Don't wanna shove another one on top."

"Yeah, but ours looks like a big blue box." She didn't realize she'd used 'ours' but the Doctor did, and it made one of his hearts jump unexplainably.

"No one's gonna notice it. Plus, Chameleon Circuit."

He really needed to stop being surprised she knew stuff like that.

"You'd be surprised! Emergency like this, there'll be all kind of people watching."

"Like U.N.I.T.?"

Another thing she knew about him.

"You know, one day I'm gonna make you take me to meet the Brigadier and Benton. No getting out of it, Mister. I'm guessing it's been a while for you."

About 150 years, actually, but he wasn't telling her that.

"In the meantime," she continued, "History's happening and we're stuck here."

"Yes we are."

She turned to look at him with an impish smile.

"We could always do what everyone else does. Watch it on TV."

** **

Zoe opened the door to Shireen's flat, only to find Shireen reaching for the door handle on the other side.

"You! I hope you're happy! Now I'm late and it's all your fault! I don't know how yet, but I know you did this with some funky Martian voodoo!"

"It's not Martian," the Doctor grumbled from behind.

Zoe mentally counted to ten before grabbing the girl's arm and steering her into the living room and switching on the telly.

"Look," she growled, pointing to the screen where an emergency newscast was reporting on the spaceship crash. She watched with satisfaction as the girl paled beneath her makeup and collapsed back on the sofa.

"Do you understand now why I didn't want you near Big Ben?!"

Shireen nodded in silence, and Zoe collapsed on the sofa next to her with a sigh of relief that things were back on track.

** **

Four hours later she wasn't so glad it was unfolding like the episode.

Once over the shock, Shireen had gone crazy, calling every one of her friends and inviting them over to watch the news together. When they'd gotten there, they pestered Zoe nonstop with questions about where she'd been. Then Shireen had went and told them Zoe was psychic and had known the spaceship was going to happen, and they started asking for their fortunes told. It all added up to Zoe being fed up before the Doctor was.

Half-yelling at the ten people circling her to bugger off, she pushed her way to the balcony. Taking a deep breath of the cool air with her eyes closed, she jumped when she felt a hand on her bare shoulder. Spinning around, she found herself face to face with the Doctor.

"Oh, it's you."

His eyebrow raised. "You sound disappointed."

Zoe chuckled. "I think I was subconsciously hoping it was someone I could hit and not feel bad about it."

"Normally humans want fame and attention like that," he said gesturing back into the flat.

"Not the mentally sane ones," she snorted. "I had no idea my friends would be that… limited, in their thinking. I mean, I know what they're interested in, but I thought better of them than this. You'd think they'd take the aliens more seriously than my so called 'psychic powers'. It's extremely frustrating, hence the urge to smash something. Badly."

The Doctor smiled his insane grin, amused with her bad mood. She rolled her eyes in faux exasperation, but couldn't help smiling as well.

"Zoey!"

** **

The Doctor whipped his head to the source of the sound and saw that Mickey boy pounding on the door of the TARDIS.

"Zoey! Let me in! I know you're in there! Zoe!"

The Doctor scowled at idiot ape.

"Oi! Ricky! Get your hands off my ship!"

The human looked up and saw him.

"You!" Then he saw Zoe. "Zoey! You're back!"

The boy's face lit up like it was Christmas morning and Zoe was the present he'd been wanting all year. It irked the Doctor to no end… yet he could relate to it.

The Doctor mentally shivered. Him, the last of the great Time Lords, could relate to one of the stupidest apes alive through one of the best apes that ever existed. Zoe, **his** ape. The ape that was currently flying down the stairs to Mickey, apparently very eager to see him.

At least that was what he'd thought, until she punched him in the nose.

** **

"Ow!" Mickey cried, holding his nose tenderly. Zoe glared at him and rubbed her knuckles.

"What was that for?"

"You didn't give Shireen the letter! Do you have any idea what I've had to deal with because of that?!" She yelled at him.

Mickey looked at her pathetically.

"I- I'm sorry. I just…"

"You just **what**?! Argh!" Zoe dug her hands in her hair to give them something to do other than hitting him again. She sighed, forcing herself to calm down.

"Okay, just tell me why you didn't give it to her."

Mickey shifted feet uncomfortably, looking at the ground.

"I dunno. I just didn't think she'd believe it. I mean, you know Shireen. She pretends stuff like that doesn't happen, kinda blocks it from her memory. I didn't want to be the messenger for news like that, in case she decided to block me out too."

Zoe groaned and looked at the heavens in exasperation. "You idiot! Didn't you know she'd seen the TARDIS too? She was attacked by your plastic copy for goodness's sake!"

"Really? She was?" Mickey asked, clearly surprised. "She never said."

"Oh great; **both** of my best friends are idiots! She probably didn't say because you didn't say, and you didn't say for the same reasons! Brilliant, just brilliant!"

Zoe finally exhaled dramatically. "Alright. I'm not mad anymore- at least not as much. I get it."

"You do?" Mickey looked at her hopefully.

"Yeah," she said, breaking out into a smile that spelled trouble. "You're scared of Shireen."

Before Mickey could protest, the girl in question appeared on the balcony.

"Zoe-yyy! Get back up here, girl! We got pizza! And bring up that alien boyfriend of yours!"

Zoe blushed bright red and swore quietly. "Fudge! Get up there Mick, and distract her while I make my escape."

He looked at her in panic. "You're not leaving **already**, are you?"

"No, but I can't handle any more of their pestering. You owe me! Plus, this is your chance to make things better with Shireen. Give her the letter!"

Mickey still looked hesitant.

"Now!" she hissed venomously.

He jumped and quickly ran up to Shireen's flat.

Zoe turned to the Doctor.

"Right; I'm hiding in the TARDIS. You gonna join me or follow Mick?"

"Neither. I'm going to take the TARDIS and investigate. Care to accompany me?"

Zoe smiled at him with her tongue peeking out and threaded her arm through his.

"Love to."

** **

Zoe bumped into the Doctor's back as she stepped out of the TARDIS into the very, very crowded room.

"We're in a cupboard," she stated drily.

"Yep!" the Doctor chirped while sonicking the door.

"Is it at least an alien cupboard?"

"Nope!"

"Rubbish date you are," Zoe grumbled. Then the door opened-

Into a room full of armed soldiers-

Who cocked their guns all at once and aimed at them.

"Ah," the Doctor said dumbly.

"Fantastic," Zoe said sarcastically.

** **

Zoe was having a fandom moment.

Trying to contain a goofy smile, she watched Toshiko Sato, secret member of Torchwood, examine the augmented pig with the Doctor. Giggles bubbled up inside her and she had to fight not to let them loose. The Doctor wouldn't have appreciated it. He was still moody about the pig being shot by the soldier.

Zoe honestly didn't mind the pig being dead and hadn't tried to prevent it- in her opinion, it was out of its misery now- but seeing the Doctor upset made her uncomfortable, especially knowing she could have at least **tried** to avoid it.

However, she didn't know what saving the pig would do. It introduced a whole other element to the timeline and created a dilemma: what do you do with a pig that isn't a pig anyways? It didn't have a place to go to anymore.

So she let the Doctor explain away like he was good at, and while Tosh was speaking, he slipped out of the room.

"Doctor?" the techie asked when she noticed he was gone. Her attention turned to Zoe.

"Where did he go?"

Zoe shrugged. "Back to the TARDIS. I'd better follow him."

"What's the TARDIS?"

"Doesn't matter. But listen- tell Jack hi for me, and make a move on Owen before it's too late."

Tosh's mouth fell open.

"H-How do you…"

Zoe only winked at the Japanese girl and skipped after the Doctor.

** **

"So what do we do now?" Zoe asked the Time Lord, joining him in the ship as he set it in flight.

"I'm going to run a few programs. Meanwhile, you can go back to the idiots."

Zoe frowned. Did she want to talk to Mickey and Shireen again? They were her friends, and likely had some questions for her, but she really just wanted to stay with the Doctor. Just being by him and in the TARDIS made her feel ten times better than anything else- even dark chocolate.

They landed and she opened the doors to find Mickey and Shireen staring at her. From their positions it looked like they'd been arguing when the TARDIS had landed.

An awkward silence ensued, with them all exchanging wide-eyed looks.

"Um, hi guys," Zoe said first. "Wanna come in?" She stepped to the side and motioned to the interior, ignoring the muffled "No!" from the Doctor.

Mickey didn't hesitate and strode in. Shireen paused though, and looked unsure.

"Please Shireen?" she said softly. Her friend nodded slightly and entered, only to back out again a moment later, shaking her head vigorously.

"Shireen," Zoe cried and followed her out, leaving Mickey and the Doctor to it. "Shireen, wait!"

The girl didn't stop, however, and kept running up to her flat.

"I- I'll talk to you later!" Zoe called after her in exasperation. She sighed and reentered the TARDIS, only to find Mickey accusing the Doctor.

"You ruined my life, Doctor! I lost my girlfriend because of you!"

"See Zoe? Domestic!" the Time Lord griped, ignoring Mickey in favor of the console monitor.

"I bet you don't even remember my name!"

Zoe rolled her eyes as the Doctor clenched his jaw and turned around.

"Ricky."

"It's Mickey!"

"No, it's Ricky," the Doctor said, like he was explaining it to a four-year old.

_Don't say it. Don't fall into his trap…_ Zoe thought urgently.

"I think I know my own name!" Mickey said, ignoring her mental plea.

She winced as the Doctor shot back "You **think** you know your own name? How stupid are you?"

Mickey blinked, no comeback ready for that.

"Boys!" Zoe snapped, "Play nice… **or else**!"

The Doctor glanced at her quickly before lifting up some grating and starting work on the TARDIS, while Mickey's eyes widened and his hand shot up to his sore nose protectively.

** **

"I'm bored."

The Doctor looked at Zoe, swinging her feet on the jumpseat, and briefly took his screwdriver out of his mouth. Mickey had left and he was still busy underneath the console.

"Well, if you cared to tell me what's going on, I wouldn't need to do this now, would I?"

"Sorry, no can do. Have to keep events within a certain perimeter or I lose control." She accentuated her words with a click of the tongue.

"Uhhuffeahvunohhanwes," the Doctor said.

"You gotta take the sonic out of your mouth, Doctor."

He did, and repeated himself more clearly.

"I said you shouldn't have control anyways."

Zoe bristled. "Well I do and that's that."

Silence, except for the screwdriver's buzz and constant hum of the TARDIS, reigned for a minute before it was broken by the Doctor.

"You could talk to me."

"I told you, Doctor, I-"

"No, not about- I mean… well… I was thinking- about what you said on the roof- and I thought…"

The Doctor looked away and swallowed.

"Never mind. Back to work."

There was no immediate reply and he thought that was the end of it. But then he heard soft footsteps on the grating and a shadow dimmed his light. He looked up and saw Zoe on her knees and leaning over the grating to look at him.

Lights from the time rotor cast a glow around her head, and her green eyes were kind and caring. She looked like one of those paintings of angels in churches. He swallowed anxiously and sat up.

"Tell me," she said softly.

"You were saying no one here knew who you really were anymore, and you missed be able to talk to your father. I was just thinking, you can tell **me** stuff… if you want."

A smile graced Zoe's face, bubblegum pink lips stretching out.

"Thanks. I didn't want to scare you away. I figured it classified as domestic."

The Doctor beamed. "Only as long as it has nothing to do with the idiots."

She burst out laughing and he joined in.

"No joke! I can't believe Mickey blamed you for losing Shireen."

"I know! He didn't need my help for that."

Zoe swatted him playfully. "Careful. He may be an idiot, but he's a good idiot. Never done wrong by me except not giving Shireen the letter." She scowled at the memory.

"You punched him."

She grinned again. "Yep. And don't think you're past getting a slap, Doctor. Consider that punch an example of what I do to people that tick me off!"

"I'll keep that in mind," he said drily.

Then the monitor beeped, and he got up.

"There!"

** **

Zoe listened to the Doctor figure out how the crash had been a fake.

"Coulda told you that," she said.

He looked at her in annoyance. "Then why didn't you?"

She winked and tapped the side of her nose.

The Time Lord sighed. "C'mon. Ricky can drive us."

But when they stepped outside, policemen, soldiers, and helicopters were surrounding them.

"Shireen," Zoe sighed to herself. "I'm really **not** in danger."

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Shireen and Mickey being held back from running to her. Meanwhile, the Doctor had his hands up and was grinning at the helicopter.

"Take me to your leader!"


	12. Government Compromised

I managed to get another chapter done by Thursday! Yay me! However, I'm not particularly sure I like this one. Tell me if you think it's lame or if there is something I should have done different.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, **SciFiGeek14, SerenityMoonlight, FantasticlyBrilliant, Faded Feathers, Bad Wolf Jr, ROGMethos, **and** TARDISgirl192** for reviewing the last chapter! Mucho Appreciado mi Amigos!

** **

Zoe's heart was beating at a million miles an hour when they pulled up to 10 Downing Street. Oh sure, aliens in the year five billion representing governments a hundred times more powerful than any Earth nation was impressive; but those were nations she'd never heard of and might never encounter. This was Britain, Earth, early 21st century; her time. This was **scary** impressive- which was utterly ridiculous considering what she'd been through.

The Doctor- unphased at least, ecstatic at most- got out of the car and waved cheerily at the crowds, making a perfect fool of his self.

"Blimey; why not? You only live once- unless you're a Time Lord," she muttered to herself, and began smiling and blowing kisses to the photographers, making the most of her moment in the spotlight.

"That's the spirit!" the Doctor told her, and took her hand as they entered the building.

** **

Zoe looked around at the assembly of people in the small room and mentally counted up the ones that were Slitheen.

"One, two, three slimey green aliens in skin suits," she murmured. That sounded like it would make a good child's rhyme.

Hey, if there was a nursery rhyme about the gory death of ten little Indians, who was to say there couldn't be one with farting extraterrestrials?

"Go one; I'll be fine!" she urged the Doctor when Indra refused her entrance into the meeting.

"Are you sure?"

She smiled at his loyalty and squeezed his hand before letting it go.

"Positive. I'll be fine."

He nodded, and she suddenly remembered what his face would look like with currents of electricity running through him, and caught his arm.

"Just… be careful. And… nametags. Remember nametags," she whispered cryptically to him. His brow furrowed but he nodded and accepted her message calmly before heading off.

** **

"They turned the body into a suit- a disguise for the thing inside!" Harriet Jones sobbed.

Zoe's heart went out to the poor woman, thrust into such an impossible and scary position so suddenly.

"It's alright. I believe you," she comforted. "It's alien. And I know just what to do, so don't you worry. Me and the Doctor can take care of anything together." She hugged Harriet tightly.

"Harriet, for God's sake!" Indra's voice suddenly interrupted. "This has gone beyond a joke! You **cannot** just wander…"

His voice drifted off as the Prime Minister's dead body fell out of the cabinet Zoe had just opened.

"You were saying?" she said with a hand on her hip.

"Oh! Has someone been naughty?"

Blon Fel Fotch Pasameer Day Slitheen- in Margaret Blaine's body- entered the cabinet room with a wolfish smile. Zoe briefly thought for the hundredth time how good an actress she was before remembering that here she **wasn't** an actress. She was a heartless and manipulative villainess and about to kill them all- if Zoe didn't do something.

Indra Ganesh was speaking.

"That's not possible. He left this afternoon. The Prime Minister left Downing Street; he was driven away!"

"And who told you that? Hmm?"

The Slitheen smiled like an evil little girl who ripped off dollies' heads for fun.

"Me!"

She reached up in a smooth motion and unzipped her forehead. The room grew dark, the only light coming from the electricity sparking and arching around the alien.

Zoe didn't take the time to watch. She waited till the Slitheen was awkwardly half-in, half-out of the skin suit before grabbing Harriet's hand and yelling "Run!"

The future Prime Minister and Indra followed her around the other side of the table, barely missing Blon's fumbled attempts to reach them while still partially in her skin-suit.

"Quick! We need to get the Doctor!" she cried.

"This way!" Harriet said, leading her down yet another wood-paneled hall and down a flight of stairs. A frustrated roar from behind quickened their feet.

The trio burst through the door into the meeting room, finding Joseph Green about to electrocute them all.

"… identify the bodies," was all Zoe heard before shouting "No!"

Both the Slitheen and the Doctor turned to her in surprise, the latter crying her name, the former sneering and pushing the button.

Zoe, Harriet, and Indra collectively gasped as everyone wearing nametags became covered in sparkling blue electricity.

Ignoring the agonized sounds coming from around her, Zoe reached into her TARDIS bag slung across her shoulders and pulled out a water gun filled with vinegar.

Determination settling onto her features, she pumped it several times at the Slitheen out of his suit, finding a grim amount of satisfaction as his cries of pain joined the others.

"Turn it off or I'll empty it all on you!" she shouted.

With a threatening snarl Joseph Green pushed the button once more and the electricity stopped. Harriet and Indra immediately began checking the unconscious experts.

"Thank goodness! Some are still alive!" Harriet exclaimed.

"But not all," Indra grimly added, fingers searching in vain for a pulse on one figure.

Zoe listened to all this without once looking away from the Slitheen. She was breathing heavily through her nose and holding the large, rifle shaped water-gun up to her shoulder like a professional.

Cool fingers wrapped around her own on the makeshift weapon.

"Zoe, let it go," the Doctor said. She blinked furiously and shook her head no.

"**Zoe**," he said again, and the tone of his voice finally made her meet his eyes. They were calm and understanding.

"Let it go."

Sighing shakily, the girl let loose the tension in her body and lowered the gun.

"Right. We need to get the ones still alive medical attention."

The Time Lord watched with a raised eyebrow as Zoe took charge.

"Here," she put the water gun in Indra's hands. "Guard them."

"M-me?!" he stuttered.

"Yes, you," she said while rolling her eyes. Then she left without looking back.

** **

_Ah, this is more like it,_ the Doctor thought as he suddenly stopped in front of a group of black-clad guards.

"Oi! You want aliens? You got 'em. They're inside Downing Street. Come on!"

The guards looked at each other in confusion, but over 900 years of time and space travel, besides being raised to have a superiority complex, had given him an air of authority that they immediately recognized and followed. In a minute they were racing behind him, Zoe, and Harriet back to the meeting room.

He could sense something was wrong before they even entered the room. Once they did, it became clear why.

The Slitheen disguised as General Asquith was just tugging his hat back into place, back in the skin suit, and a rather large blonde woman was standing suspiciously over the secretary's dead body, his neck twisted to the side and water gun still in hand.

The Doctor looked at Zoe out of the corner of his eye and watched the blood drain from her face and her green eyes go wide before hardening into narrow slits. The older woman with her gasped in shock.

"Where've you been?" the alien dressed as Mr. Green said to the guards that had filled the room. He was blustering, but in a fashion that only the Doctor, Zoe, and the other woman would recognize as guilty.

"I called for help! I sounded the alarm! There was this lightning; this kind of… um… electricity, and then they all collapsed!"

One of the guards checked the pulse of a slumped over U.N.I.T. official.

"I think they're dead!" he said.

"That's what I'm saying!" The acting Prime Minister advanced menacingly on the poor bloke. Then he turned and pointed an accusing finger in the direction of the Doctor.

"He did it! That man there!"

Uh oh.

"I think you'll find the Prime Minister is an alien in disguise!"

Not one of his best defenses. It seemed this regeneration wouldn't be as eloquent as past bodies. Just one look at the guard closest confirmed the trouble they were in.

"That's never gonna work, is it?" he asked him.

In the guards defense, he was honest. "Nope."

"Right. Zoe?"

"Yeah?" she asked breathlessly.

He fumbled for her hand.

"_Run!_"

** **

Zoe slumped in the chair Harold Saxon would sit in a couple years from now. They'd ran for the Cabinet room just like the episode, and she'd let the Doctor go through his whole spiel.

"Right; what've we got? Any terminals, anything?"

Zoe put her feet up on the table, ignoring Harriet's look of disapproval.

"Nope. They sealed off all communications. Unless…?" She reached into her TARDIS bag and pulled out her mobile. She tossed it to the Doctor and he fumbled for it. After a moment of staring at it, realization flickered in his eyes and he pulled out his sonic and a little piece of some tech she recognized from the scene in _The End of the World_. She got up and idled over to where he was, standing close enough to brush shoulders and hips with him.

"With just a little jiggery-pokery…"

"Is that a technical term; jiggery-pokery?" Zoe teased with her tongue peeking out.

"Yeah, I came first in it. What about you?" the Doctor flirted back.

"Nah, I failed hullabaloo!"

They shared a grin until Harriet interrupted.

"Excuse me. People are dead; this is not the time for making jokes!"

"Sorry. You get used to this stuff when you're friends with him," Zoe apologized.

"Well that's a strange friendship."

Zoe shrugged then turned to the Doctor who'd finished with her phone.

"I think you should call U.N.I.T., make sure **they're** the ones responsible for the care of the surviving experts downstairs. I don't know whether the Slitheen would bother with killing them since they're so close to finishing their plot, but it's better safe than sorry."

"I really didn't want them to know I was here," he sighed, but put in the call, knowing she was right.

Zoe turned to look at Harriet again. "Any luck with the protocols?"

"Not a bit. They're redundant. Everyone they list is either dead or incapacitated downstairs."

Zoe smiled in reassurance, though her mind was a hurricane of worry.

The MP shut the briefcase with a sigh and turned to her. "You said he was an alien," she began, referencing the revelation Zoe had given when the Doctor was talking to the Slitheen. "Does he have one of those Slitheen inside him? Listen to me; I'm saying Slitheen as if it's normal!"

Zoe grinned widely. "Nah, he really looks like that. You'd be surprised how many aliens resemble humans."

"Oh." Harriet processed this. "What I don't understand is why didn't they use the Prime Ministers body when they killed him?"

"He's too slim. They're big old beasts. They need to fit inside big humans," the Doctor said, hanging up from his call. Harriet frowned and thought about that.

"But the Slitheen are about 8 feet tall! How can they manage to even fit inside a larger person?"

"That's the device around their neck. Compression field- literally shrinks them down a bit. That's why there's all that gas. It's a big exchange."

"Oh," Harriet said simply.

The Doctor paused and looked at her. "I'm sorry. I don't even know your name."

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale-North," the woman recited, showing her id.

"Harriet Jones. I've heard that name before. Harriet Jones. You're not famous for anything, are you?"

"Ha! Hardly!"

"Harriet Jones- rings a bell."

"Lifelong back bencher, I'm afraid, and a fat lot of use I'm being right now."

"No! You're fantastic," Zoe told her. She smiled kindly, but Zoe could tell she didn't believe it, not really.

"In the protocols, isn't there some way we could launch a nuclear missile at them?"

The MP stared at her for a moment. "You're a very violent young woman."

** **

"Mickey, you were born in the dark!" the Doctor snapped, annoyed at the boy's idiocy. He and that Shareen girl had called in a panic, and as much as it irked him, Mickey could prove useful. But still, whatever Zoe saw in him he couldn't understand. He hoped the ape's nose still hurt. It bothered him even more when Zoe sprang to his defense.

"Oh, leave him alone."

"Thank you," Mickey's smug voice came through the phone. The Doctor had to hold back a sneer.

The annoying conversation continued, until suddenly Shareen took up the other end of the line and asked a question he'd been avoiding from the minute Zoe had stepped inside the TARDIS.

"Are you safe?"

"I'm fine, Shareen," Zoe replied wearily.

"But will you always be safe? I've seen this life of the Doctor's and it scares me to death. And you're smack in the middle of it! You're my friend, Zoey! Can he guarantee you'll survive today? Or tomorrow?"

He held his breath and fixed his eyes on Zoe. She looked up at him and took a deep breath.

"No," she said, holding his gaze. "And I've never expected him to."

But despite her steady voice, he could see a sliver of fear and apprehension in her eyes. He knew he couldn't hide the same feelings in his own, either.

Then Mickey came back on and the moment was blissfully gone. It was business as usual.

But the question still hung in the air, ignored for now, but not forever.


	13. A mad tour in time and space

Wow! Another chapter! Bet you guys didn't think this would happen, huh? XD

I had a massively hard time writing this for some reason. It's like I ran out of steam or something and just failed epic-ly. But I didn't give up! I persevered and bring to you the next chapter in this exciting saga! It's 2,812 words, the biggest so far, which is only fair as it's been so long. Sorry about that…

Shout out to: pheobep3, ROGMethos, DarkRiddlesDestiny, TARDISgirl192, cat2772, Vayluh Arwen, Yanna, Harlequin-Raven, WeepingAngel123, Wandering Hitokiri, OobieMcRuby, CountryGrl, wolfchasing, and SciFiGeek14 for reviewing since my last update!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You guys ROCK!!!

** **

_SPLAT!_

Harriet, the Doctor, and Zoe all released a breath when they heard the Slitheen explode and the roaring stop. The Doctor had come up with the solution in time, without Zoe having to tell him, and Mickey and Shireen were safe.

A sudden thought of what Mickey and Shireen must look like now made Zoe chuckle. In a second, the chuckle had become full- blown laughter and everyone else had joined in- even Mickey and Shireen on the other end of the phone. With her head awhirl, Zoe found herself being scooped up in a hug by the Doctor.

He held her off the floor for a good minute. She closed her eyes and smiled in relief, and knew the Doctor was doing the same.

When he put her down they grinned at each other for a moment, his hands still on her waist and hers on his shoulders.

"Raxa- Raxic- What was the name of the planet you said?" Harriet asked.

"Raxacoricofallapatorius," both the Doctor and Zoe said at the same time. And they burst into laughter again.

All three took up the glasses of port and toasted to the name "Hannibal!"

** **

The Doctor looked over at Zoe where she was sitting in the spot normally reserved for the Prime Minister, staring into her half-empty glass. The look on her face was intense and dark. Broody and lost deep in thought.

He couldn't know that she was thinking of the Master's reign and whether she'd be here to help him through it.

He did, however, guess it had something to do with a fact she knew about his future. She'd already shown this was one of her foreseen adventures with him.

The Doctor put his glass down and took a seat next to her. Zoe immediately faced him and forced a smile.

"So do you know everything about my future?" he asked right off the bat.

Her smile turned genuine. "Nah. I only know ten of your… **escapades** in this body. I mean there are others but I don't know how… **canon** they are." She meant the spin-off media, unbeknownst to him.

"Don't tell me I only have seven more trips left in this body!"

Zoe laughed now. "No! These first three all happened in a row, that's all. I don't know how soon the other ones are going to happen."

"Good," he grumbled.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to take the fun out of it. I mean the best." Her face darkened. "But once again, I lost control. This, being stuck in here, wasn't what I meant to happen. It was supposed to be over downstairs. Indra was supposed to be alive."

The Doctor slung an arm around and pulled her close till she was resting her head on his shoulder. A soft sigh escaped her pink lips. Only a bit of gloss was still on them, the rest worn off with time.

He wondered why he noticed that and why he was still staring at them.

The Time Lord blinked and looked away.

Then the phone crackled to life and the voice of Mickey- **Ricky**- broke the calm.

"Listen to this."

** **

Zoe watched the Doctor's frown grow deeper and deeper as the phony Prime Minister told lies to the media.

"He's making it up. There's no weapons up there; there's no threat! He just invented it!"

"Do you think they'll believe him?" Harriet asked.

"They did last time," he said. "That's why the Slitheen went for spectacle. They **want **the whole world panicking, 'cause you lot, you get scared. You **lash** out."

"They release the codes-" Harriet said.

"And the Slitheen go nuclear," he finished.

Zoe watched with fascination as the Doctor strode powerfully to the door, intent on it with a focus she only ever saw in him. Even a Cyberman would have been knocked over with a stride like that. And that intensity stayed in his face as he opened the steel shutter and addressed the Slitheen outside.

"You get the codes, release the missiles. But not into space cause there's nothing there. You attack every other country on Earth, they retaliate- fight back. World war three: the whole planet gets nuked."

His voice was deathly calm and emotionless when he talked, contrasting Harriet's exclamations and questions. Zoe stayed silent, fury tampered only because she was already so jaded to such things. All she could muster was sneering in pure disgust at Blon's callous attitude towards the destruction of Earth.

Zoe stared at the steel door for a moment after it had closed again. Then it hit home. Oh, she'd laughed at the Slitheen plenty of times before. They had seemed so comedic when they weren't real. But not anymore. Not when she'd felt the contempt for life rolling in waves off of them. Not when she could still see Indra's broken body whenever she closed her eyes. Not now.

She jumped when the Doctor wove his hand into hers and blinked back tears. His expression told her he knew exactly what she was going through. He'd long ago lost any innocence to evil, and it still hurt.

"Does it get easier?" Zoe asked before she could help herself.

He didn't pretend to misunderstand her.

"It depends."

"On what?"

"On whose hand you're holding."

** **

There; he'd said it. He'd managed to tell her what he'd figured out on the rooftop not so long ago. He still didn't know if he had ever **meant** to tell her, but at the lost look on her face and the break in her voice when she'd asked the question, he couldn't help himself. It was so disgustingly **domestic**, but it was too late now. And her hopeful smile at the confession softened the uneasiness he felt.

** **

The next few hours were spent brainstorming ways to get out: _"Do you have any more vinegar Zoe?" "No." "Anything useful in your pockets Doctor?" "No." "What about emergency numbers, Mickey?" "They're all on voicemail."_

It all led nowhere except the conclusion that next time they should come better prepared, or at least rebuild K-9.

Meanwhile the UN was having their emergency conference, no doubt deciding to release the codes.

"There has to be a way out!" Harriet declared. The Doctor watched Zoe who was studying her hands.

"There's a way out." How was his voice staying so steady? Why weren't his knees knocking in fear?

"There's always been a way out."

Zoe finally looked at him and the mass of conflicting feelings in her eyes told him she had known this would happen all along.

"Then why haven't we used it?" Harriet asked. Her voice wasn't accusing, just curious. She trusted he had a good reason and knew what he was doing.

How many had trusted him like that and died because of it? He couldn't think of it without feeling sick.

Zoe turned away with a guilty look and he leant over the table- partially to talk into the phone, but mostly to make eye contact with her.

"Because we probably won't survive."

"Don't you dare!" came both Mickey and Shireen's voice over the phone.

"But that's the thing; if I don't dare, **everyone** dies!" He said it to convince himself as much as to convince the others. He had to believe this was the right choice, the noble sacrifice.

"No!"

"You can't!"

Yet somehow, over the clamor of her friends, his girl's soft voice stood out.

"I'll do it."

They all fell silent until Zoe repeated herself.

"I'll do it."

The Doctor spoke next.

"You know what it is?"

She nodded once.

"And you'll **still** let me do it?" His voice raised in incredulity and wonder.

She nodded again without hesitation, but he could clearly see the terror in her eyes. "Yeah."

His awe and admiration of this precious human child doubled even as his hearts simultaneously failed him.

"No! Don't you **dare**! If she gets hurt we'll have your ugly alien head, Doctor!"

"D'you think I **want **this?!" he snapped at Mickey through the phone. "'Cause this is my life! It isn't fun and it isn't smart; it's just standing up and making a decision because no one else will!"

He let all his bitterness and resentment for his life show in his words. All the regrets and hatred for the past fueled his tone. Did they honestly believe he **wanted** to destroy the only thing he had worth fighting for?

"So what are you waiting for?"

Zoe's soft voice silenced his inner turmoil. She stripped his thoughts down to one, and only one.

"I could save the world but lose you."

And in his heart, at that moment, he knew he could never make that decision. He'd done it once on an even grander scale, sacrificing whole worlds- including his own- to save the universe, and he couldn't do it again. Not to Zoe.

Luckily he didn't have to.

** **

"Does this work?" the Doctor asked her.

"It did back home," Zoe replied, gripping his hand as they crouched in the cupboard. "But, you know, different universe, so…"

"Well that's encouraging," he replied sarcastically.

Harriet looked at them questioningly. "Just what are you-"

The missile hit.

** **

Then they all died… psych! Like I'd kill the Doctor *rolls eyes*

** **

The cupboard was tossed and turned like a claustrophobic amusement park ride mix between the big drop ones and the wildly rotating kind. She was slammed around into the Doctor, then the other side with the Doctor pressing into her, then back when she cracked her head on the wall behind. Stars circled in her eyes and she just barely managed not to repeat the process when she was thrown forward. By the time her senses returned, the turbulence had stopped.

The Doctor was the first to move, gingerly lifting himself from the heap of limbs and somehow forcing the door open. Since Harriet was closest to it she exited first, then him, then Zoe.

The sunlight felt strange on her skin, like it had been years since she'd last encountered some. Her eyes stung from the glare and she put up a hand to shade them.

"Made in Britain," Zoe heard Harriet exclaim proudly. She managed to smile while the MP continued talking, though her head felt fuzzy, and said "I'd vote for you" at the appropriate time.

The Doctor followed leisurely in the direction Harriet had gone. Zoe trailed him, dizzy and a little nauseous.

"I thought I knew her name. Harriet Jones: future Prime Minister. Elected for three successive terms- the architect of Britain's golden age," he said proudly.

Zoe tried to muster a reaction but the nausea suddenly escalated and she bent over as the contents of her stomach came back up.

"Zoe?!" the Doctor exclaimed.

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and squinted at him. "I think… I might have a concussion."

"Right, how many fingers am I holding up?" He gripped her shoulder with one hand and put the other one in her face.

"Six? I can't tell with you moving them."

He sighs heavily. "It's three, and you're the one that's moving."

"Ah," she replied intelligently. "That makes sense too."

His grip adjusted and Zoe closed her eyes. A minute later the sound of the sonic screwdriver filled her ears.

"I'm just dizzy, Doctor. I need a lay down and I'll be fine." She doesn't want him freaking out. She's embarrassed enough as it is that both of their previous adventures ended with her as a victim. It's not who she wants to be, the one always needing help. But as she tries to take a step and nearly falls over, she admits this may be a problem.

The Doctor silently put his arm around her waist and she reached hers across his shoulders. Together they walked back to the TARDIS, Zoe leaning heavily on him through most of it.

"Sorry I'm being so lame. Rose wasn't this pathetic," she apologized groggily.

"Who's Rose?"

Zoe snorted. "Not me!"

"If you're not gonna make sense you might as well not talk."

"I am making sense! You just don't understand it."

The Doctor paused before replying.

"You're right; I don't understand that sentence. So go on? Who's this Rose person? Other than not you, I mean."

She either didn't notice or didn't respond to his sarcasm. "Rose is who I'm supposed to be. But I'm not her. Don't wanna be either. Especially since there isn't a Pete to catch me."

** **

The Doctor was a little worried. Honestly, a mild concussion wasn't the end of the world (he'd just seen that after all) but Zoe was losing consciousness. Her eyes were closed and he had to practically drag her. She needed to stay awake and alert. Nonsensical rambling would do that, he decided, so prompted her with another question.

"Who is Pete?"

"Her dad-but-not."

He shook his head. She wasn't making any sense at all. Her concussion hadn't seemed bad enough to induce hallucinations. Could what she was saying be part of her secrets? Maybe the concussion only scrambled her self-control. He wondered if he should take advantage of her lapse in judgment and continue asking questions. It might be the only way to quell his curiosity.

"Was Rose a friend in your original universe?"

Zoe's eyes fluttered open. "Psh! Nah! Like I know Billie Piper!"

Billie Piper? Who was this now? The Doctor frowned.

"What's this Billie bloke got to do with Rose?"

She laughed. "Billie's a girl, silly!"

None of this was answering his questions, only creating more. He sighed in exasperation.

"Did you travel with me in the other universe?"

"Nope!"

He ground his teeth and huffed a breath.

"Then how do you know me so well?!"

"I've watched you for as long as I can remember. Both my parents had watched you as kids, and thought I should see it too. Then, of course, they brought you back in 2005."

By now they were at the TARDIS in the estates. Any more questions were prevented by Mickey and Shireen who were racing down the stairs towards them. They must have been watching out the window.

"Zoe! What happened to her?"

"Is she okay?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"She'll be fine; just a minor concussion from being thrown around a bit. Nothing me and the TARDIS can't fix in a mo'."

Mickey eyed him distrustfully while Shireen put Zoe's other arm around her shoulder and helped him half-carry her to the TARDIS.

** **

Zoe was living in a fuzzy little corner of reality. Thoughts floated around in her head like… little floating things, she guessed. She reached out for them, laughing mentally as she chased one down.

"Perfectly harmless device… the year 2670… fix her…"

They were bits of a conversation. The Doctor was talking to… Mickey? And Shireen? He was attaching cold pads about the size of her fingernail to her head, which, now that she thought about it, hurt.

Then the pads grew warm, then hot, then very hot, and just as she was about to whimper in discomfort, it stopped. Zoe blinked and reality got a lot clearer.

"Just what did you get me to say, Doctor?!"

** **

The Doctor sighed in relief as he stepped back into the TARDIS. Zoe was just saying her final goodbyes to Shireen and Mickey. She'd insisted on staying for the rest of the day. Now it was early evening and they could finally leave.

He set the controls for the vortex, and the minute Zoe came in and closed the doors, he pulled the lever and sent them into it. Looking up at her, he deflated a bit. She was gazing at the console absently with a wistful look on her face. His stomach sank just a bit.

"Missing them already?"

She shook her head and met his eyes.

"What? Oh! No, no that's not it."

Ah, silly him. She was still upset about not being able to save everyone. He moved to her and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. She sighed and relaxed into it.

"I'll be okay. Just… disappointed, you know?"

He nodded and released her.

"Zoe…" The Doctor trailed off, not sure if he should finish his thought.

"What?"

He looked her in the eyes and exhaled through his nose.

"In this life… sometimes we make decisions and people die because of them. Today won't be the last time. Is that… is that too much?"

She looked at him with an unreadable expression. Then she smiled slightly and nodded. He smiled back and moved to the console, hands hovering, waiting to set coordinates.

"Right! Ready to continue on a mad tour in time and space?"

Zoe's smile widened and she joined him at the console.

"Always.


	14. Infiltration and Investigation

I know you're all rubbing your eyes in disbelief, BUT YES YOUR EYES DON'T DECEIVE YOU! THIS IS AN UPDATE! *throws confetti*

All you faithful readers (and the new ones that keep popping up out of nowhere!) are in for a treat, because I don't think it will be as long till the next update, seeing as I have some of it done and am back in the groove now!

Zoe turned off the blow-dryer in satisfaction and ran her fingers through her strawberry blonde locks. She had quickly learned to take every opportunity to clean up while travelling with the Doctor, because you never knew when you might be kidnapped by slave traders or thrown into a medieval dungeon for days without any hygienic facilities. That was why, even though she wasn't particularly dirty after their last adventure (taking a Weedlemax that had been stuck in 19th century Australia home), she'd hopped into her en suite shower.

Now she wrapped an extra-big, extra-fluffy towel, kindly provided by the TARDIS, around her chest and went into her adjoining bedroom. She'd just begun picking out clothes when the Doctor burst in.

"Oh good, you're out of the shower. Hurry up, cause…" he trailed off when he realized she was only in her underwear. He stared at her in silence for only a second, mouth agape and eyes blank. Then he shook his head and backed out, gaze averted.

"Come to the Console Room as soon as you're done!" he blurted, closing the door.

Zoe grinned in amusement and listened to his footsteps as he beat a retreat.

She quickly dressed then made her way to the Console Room. When she got there the Doctor didn't even meet her eyes.

"Good! Come on, we've landed" he said, and then rushed out of the TARDIS. Zoe bit her lip to contain a chuckle and followed him. Closing the doors behind her, she looked around and felt her good mood disappear.

_No._

Her body began to shake as she took in Van Statten's museum.

_No! I can't do this! I'm not ready! I'm not-_

"Are you alright?"

She snapped her head around to the Doctor.

"Fine!" Her voice came out high and squeaky. "Absolutely fine!"

He gave her a funny look and crossed his arms. "Is there anything you wanna tell me?"

"No!" she blurted, too fast and too innocently.

The Doctor narrowed his blue eyes. "Reallllly?" He dragged the word out. "Coz it's been a while since you've known what was goin' on. You wouldn't happen to know what this place is or the source of the distress signal, would you?"

Zoe cringed. He wouldn't believe her if she said no.

"Okay. I… I know about this. And I'm telling you, we don't need to be here. So please, let's just leave."

The Doctor stepped closer to her, brow furrowed. "Zoe, there's a distress signal coming from here. I'm not leaving until it's off." His eyes searched hers carefully. "What's got you so scared?"

"Nothing!" _Everything._

"Of course," he said, slipping into sarcasm. "Last month we were separated for days and thrown into different prisons that were controlled by the Blathareen. Two months before that we faced laser shooting cats and deranged ex-dictators. So I **must** be imagining you quaking in your boots just because of a silly little distress signal."

Zoe flushed at his biting tone. "You don't understand!"

"Then enlighten me."

"I can't," she choked out. "Please. Please just trust me and leave! I'm begging you!"

The Doctor looked at her, uncertainty brewing in his eyes. She held her breath in hope.

"No."

Her heart fell to somewhere near her knees.

"What?"

"No."

"But-"

His eyes were hard now. "You can go wait in the TARDIS if you're so terrified, but you do not decide what I get to know. If you won't tell me I'll just find out myself."

With that he turned heel and began to walk away. Zoe well and truly panicked.

"No! You can't!"

"I think you'll find I can," he shot back harshly, still walking.

Her panic built, and like the simple human she was, it made her do something stupid.

"The distress signal is coming from a Dalek!"

She clapped her hands over her mouth to catch the words, but it was too late.

The effect on the Doctor was immediate. He froze, nearly tripping mid-stride. Even 20 feet away with his back turned, she heard his intake of breath.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she murmured, eyes wide with fear. It certainly didn't help when he whipped around and stalked back.

"No. That's impossible. They're all dead." His expression was a mercurial mix of fear, shock, and denial.

"You- you said that it… fell. Through time," Zoe stuttered out.

"That's not funny!" he growled, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her once, violently.

She broke away angrily. "That's coz I'm not joking! But it's helpless. It's weak and it's being tortured and it can't do anything. If we leave now it will just die without hurting anyone again. So we can go and everything will work out fine."

He looked past her shoulder for a moment and seemed to loom twelve feet high. When he met her eyes again the hair on the back of her neck rose. His eyes were endlessly dark, chips of black ice. She stepped back involuntarily and found herself shaking, a mouse faced with a lion.

"You think I'm just gonna leave now?" he laughed coldly.

A Dalek. His mind could barely wrap around the idea. The one comforting (hardly) thought since the war was that that part of his life was over. After everything he'd been through with that species, it had been a small measure of relief in a storm of madness. Literally, him being the Oncoming Storm and all.

And now that was gone and he was lost, swept up in a torrent of emotions that had made him so different from his people in the first place.

To think that Zoe, his best friend and companion, had hidden this from him only added to the storm. He wanted to yell at her and mourn simultaneously at the betrayal. But he couldn't, not now.

"Come on," he said, and opened the TARDIS door for her. She stepped inside trustingly and turned back to him.

"What are we gonna do?" she asked.

Still standing on the threshold, he looked at her for a moment. Then he closed the door and locked it from the outside.

"Doctor? Doctor! Don't you dare! You let me out right now!"

But he left her pounding on the doors and walked away, aiming his sonic at the corner where he saw a camera and shorting out all the security systems.

"Doctor!"

He kept going, now using the sonic to trace the signal. He was so absorbed with it that he didn't notice the guard post till it was too late and half-a-dozen guns were aimed at him.

"Ah."

"Doctor!" Zoe cried one more time, knowing he was probably long gone out of hearing range. She hit the inside of the door with her fist before turning around and leaning against it.

"Think, think, think," she chanted to herself. She wasn't staying in the TARDIS, that was for sure. No way was she gonna let the Doctor do this by himself. He'd probably mess it all up anyways. There had to be another way of opening the door.

Think, think, think…

"Oh! The console!"

Zoe thought frantically about the classic episodes where she'd seen them open the doors with a switch on the console. Which one was it?

She ran to the console and stared long and hard at it. Which ones did he always use for driving? Eliminate those. Maybe he didn't even have that switch on there anymore? She couldn't remember him using it…

Zoe put her fist to her mouth to stifle a sob. She had no idea what to do.

"Please!" she begged the TARDIS, "please help me!" But the TARDIS could do nothing. It had little control over things in the console room. Still, Zoe could feel a keening in its hum, a sympathetic tone.

"Well," she murmured. "I guess I'll just have to experiment."

The Doctor cried out as Van Statten scanned him once again, arching against the restraints, only to bang back into the metal behind him when it stopped.

"Impressive," Van Statten purred, looking over the shoulder of the nervous boy running the machine. "Two hearts and what looks like a respitory bypass. I can make a pretty penny out of you."

Zoe hurriedly flicked a switch back to its previous position as the TARDIS made a pained sound.

"Sorry old girl," she said, patting the center column. "I'll find a way to make this up to you. Maybe get you some chocolate. Do you like chocolate? Of course you do, you're female." She chuffed a small laugh and nervously placed her hand on a little knob. "Here goes try #78."

After having spent almost an hour trying to open the doors, saying she was surprised when the doors opened this time would be an understatement. She just stared at them, hardly able to believe it. Then she straightened up and gathered herself.

"This is the hard part," she said softly, and somehow managed to drag her feet over to the doors and outside. Suddenly she wanted to throw up.

_Pull yourself together. You can do this. You know you can, so do it. Just do it!_

Zoe couldn't contain a whimper. She'd never been more terrified in her life. With a quick prayer she shut the doors and headed the direction the Doctor had, gripping her own sonic tightly enough to turn her knuckles white.


End file.
